Empire Rising
by Lightning Bob
Summary: An unexpected alliance has chosen a new champion! Follow them and their friends as they change Tamriel and the whole of Nirn forever! Rated M to be safe.
1. The Begining

Life isn't fair. Life isn't always easy. Rarely does anyone get everything they want, let alone need. There are exceptions to that last one though, seen enough nobles in my time that have an endless list of wants while others were content with what they have. Even seen some nobles who got rid of possessions one way or another- given to relatives in hard times, given to people seeking to appease them, given as payment for services. Twice I'd been hired to steal things from my own contractor to get items out of their lives such as cursed items, gaudy trinkets from family they want nothing to do with, all under they guise of testing their own security as the second on did. All I had to do at the end was write up a report detailing holes in guard patterns, unplanned holes in walls, secret passages and such all to prevent future thievery while doing some at the same time. Good thing the noble didn't have me searched before I left and didn't know about the small stash I had tossed out a window. After retrieving it plus the item I was contracted to steal and the pay for the job I made more than a few septims.

Right now the mantra of 'Life isn't fair' was running rampant through my head while I was trying to unbar a heavy wooden door. Trying was the key word. I had the strength, if barely, to lift the heavy wooden and iron reinforced door bar I was too damn short to lift it over the arms. Damn thing was obviously meant to be done by two people, at the height the thing was mounted it was probably meant for Nords, maybe Orsimer, even Altmer but definitely not Bosmer!.

Thankfully this job wasn't one that required subtlety, at least not anymore. Attacking a massive bandit group will really negate stealth at some point and that ended some time ago. One of the men of the Imperial Legion fired an arrow far to early and alerted the patrolling guards causing the whole fort to buzz like a beehive. Good part was that I was already inside and took out five men and hid the bodies. Bad part was that now there was an estimated fifty men and women actively searching the fort and ready to kill. Eliminating some guards and opening some doors so the Legion could start their attack from inside and outside the fortification, a simple pincer attack to leave them little choice but to die or surrender. Of course that idiot ruined the plan and the soldiers now had to fight their way through the main gate. On my way here I had been able to find and collect a number of valuables and hide them away for later collection. What they Legion doesn't know won't hurt them and they don't mind much when stealing from bandits anyway.

But damn if my thoughts wander at the weirdest times and right now weird timing just got thrown out the nearest window and replaced with worst time. What looked like either the bandits chief or one of their top men, judging by the armor and weapon. He's a huge Orc in full heavy Orsimer style armor and hefting one of the largest battle axes I'd ever seen. The hunk of refined and sharped metal probably weighed as much s I do, with weapons and armor. He obviously saw me, the nearby lit torch didn't help, and he grinned at the fact that I was cornered in a dead end hallway with the door I couldn't open as my only escape aside from trying to get past him. I didn't get this far for nothing and I have skills to help.

Three strides way he readied a sideways swing that I have no doubt could and would cleave me in half with little effort. At that moment I lifted my left hand and released a lightning bolt that hit him in the chest. The hulking bastard was as sturdy as he looked and only paused as his muscles seized up briefly before moving to start the swing only to find me gone. A simple trick really, distract with the lightning and cast invisibility illusion spell right after. Silent steps took me right next to him before he could get his bearings, only to watch him pause and look around in confusion, even looking behind himself for his target.

I have enough experience to not to do the expected with a wary opponent so staying next to him was unexpected for most. Without a sound I drew a dagger from my waist and plunged it into the gap in the armor behind the knee. He roared in pain that changed to anger as he saw my illusion break from the interaction. An armored backhand at my head missed as I spun behind him and sank my blade in a gap at his right hip, likely hitting a kidney. The pommel of his weapon came straight down at me but I kept my momentum going, good thing I did as I could feel the wind as it went by and struck the stone floor that cracked from the force, a testament to the power of the weapon and its wielder.

His skill almost surprised me as much as his endurance as he plowed through his injuries and used the slight recoil of striking the ground to heft the massive blade overhead faster than I thought should be possible and brought it down. It may have been luck or he finally felt the effects of his injuries as he stumbled forwards and cleaved the door bar clean in half. The massive warrior fell to his knees as his legs couldn't hold his weight and the blood loss was getting to him. Looking at my opponent I could clearly see his eyes, full of defiance, pride, and acceptance. He knew he wasn't going to live through the night, if I didn't do it the Legion outside would. Either of those would be preferable to simply bleeding out. I nodded in understanding, the desire for an honorable death in battle at the hands of another warrior. Drawing my sword from my back I gave it a small spin to loosen my wrist and stabbed it through the collar of his armor, plunging it through his ribcage piercing lung and heart before smoothly withdrawing it. As the Orc fell to the side, he had a smile on his face and I offered a quick prayer.

"Malacath, this warrior died in combat with honor. Watch over his soul." I say quietly yet the Orc heard and his grin widened before death finally claimed him. I quickly moved his body to the side and dragged his axe over and laid its head on his chest before knocking the remains of the wooden bar from the door off and opening the door.

Thankfully the captain was a tactical man and had made sure his troops were ready not far away and despite the current battle already taking place held to the original plan. At my signal the captain ordered his men and they stormed in, bypassing the Orc and moving on to attack the back ranks of the forts defenders. The captain himself held back with me and saw the body near the door before looking at me, taking in my lack of wounds in comparison to my most recent opponent. He nodded his head in thanks for my work and moved to follow his men when I grabbed his arm.

"Best to give this warrior a proper funeral, whatever he did in life I don't care to know but he did die a warriors death. What you do with the rest is up to you." I tell him. I'm not the most authoritative man most of the time, preferring to let my skills do the talking but this time I had both. The captain vowed he would and I released him to follow his men.

Left alone, I began searching everywhere for more valuables and items of note. So far I'd found an estimated fifty thousand septims worth of goods along with another fifteen thousand in coin. Many of the trinkets were enchanted such as the ring of night-eye and another with a powerful chameleon effect. An Akaviri katana would be going to my personal collection, a couple of enchanted staves would fetch a fine price as would the high end jewelry.

It didn't take long for the battle to end with the bandits either captured or put to the sword. During that time I took my bag of loot outside and hid it in a large gap in some tree roots I'd noticed on my way in. With the battle concluded I made my way into the courtyard where I watched as the soldiers processed their prisoners from a position next to a centurion who was guarding the gate for those attempting an escape while watching for the wagons to take the bandits to the nearest prison, in this case it's the Imperial City itself. With the Empire stretched thin attempting to defend its borders, somewhat easier now that the territory was much smaller than not too long ago, these bandits had managed to get away with their deeds so long as eyes were focused outward. Nearly an hour later nearly all of the bandits had been identified and documented, including the dead, they were loaded into the wagons while the dead were piled in another. I took note that the captain I had let in was escorting the Orcs body personally, still with his massive weapon, to a nearly empty wagon that had some bodies of Imperial soldiers. I was surprised at the level the man was willing to go to honor his word, which left me little doubt of his loyalty to the Empire as a whole.

The Centurion next to me dropped a sack of gold in my hand, "Thank you for your assistance to the Empire. Perhaps we'll be able to work together again someday." He offered a brief salute to me that I returned in kind.

"Maybe we will. Call on me if you need my services again." I tell him before I took my leave. It wasn't hard to notice some of the soldiers expressions, some held respect of my skills and service, others held contempt that I was merely a mercenary and they had required outside help.

Thief, assassin, mage, warrior, mercenary, helper of the poor, assistant of the Nine Divines, and dealer with Daedric Lords. An odd mix to be sure but as a Mer, a Bosmer to be exact, I had the potential lifespan to do what I want. And what I want is not power for the sake of power or use it to rule over others, but to test my power against others in various challenges to gain new skills, refine, learn their limits, adapt, and continually test their applications. I consider myself morally ambiguous just like my skills, I will generally help those who ask but how I help them could vary requiring theft or killing or merely offering a trade or sweet talking. Some may spread rumors about me but those who know of me will still come because I get things done. Any questionable things I may do in towns and cities are left as that, questionable but not provable. That's something I don't mind. I've yet to be caught doing anything illegal by any guards and never been to prison outside of two jobs I've had to silence some prisoners. That's not to say that a few valuables went missing from the one contractor residence and sold and I sent the coin plus my pay to the dead man's family, with a note containing the information for why their loved one was killed. Personally made sure that a copy of that information went to certain people to twist my contractors arm a bit to prevent a repeat.

For now I watched as the bodies of the dead bandits were burned. Didn't stay too long as some of the soldiers were giving me odd looks so I walked away to where I dropped the large part of my stash. I wasn't going to bother searching the fort for more with the soldiers I knew were doing continuous sweeps inside, not worth the effort and I had plenty now.

Kvatch was the closest town where I could sell my goods. The once great city was still being rebuilt but could only be best described as a large town, the Oblivion Crisis had destroyed most of the city leaving for most of the buildings nothing but burning wreckage. Even the chapel had to completely dismantled aside from the undercroft and a small temple was built in its place. Then the Great War swept through and many of the repairs were destroyed by both sides as the walls that defended the city and its location made it a key position to hold. Claim over the city changed often which left the tall walls little more than mounds of rubble around badly damaged buildings. Apparently both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Imperial Legion had no problem with destroying entire buildings if they thought it would serve their cause and kill more of the opposing side.

But since the war had ended and Kvatch now sat in a border region between the Dominion and Empire with little in the way of declaring allegiance to either side, instead the growing city has grown as a neutral place, largely outside the control of either. This made it ideal for further negotiations between the two factions. However nearly all of the current residents knew but rarely ever spoke about it that the town truly owes its life to the Thieves Guild, the guild brought gold flowing into the town from all over Tamriel which provided plenty of incentives for business to thrive at the hilltop town, both legal or otherwise. The Guild held no political ties and so was often providing its services to both the Dominion and Imperial behind the scenes which only added to its coffers. But as the coffers grew so did the city and the guild had set up several legitimate businesses in town using the gold it had available. Doing so only made the town grow even more and the war-torn land around the city was cleared of wreckage, three vineyards and a few small farms were now started up around the base of the hill with even a small market district opening near the main road where many of the vendors held a selection of their goods and guaranteed more in the city proper.

It took me some time to get to town from Fort Wariel but going into Kvatch wasn't my goal. On the south eastern side of the rocky hill was a hidden door nestled under the roots of a tree. Ensuring that there was no one around I slip into the door and walk through the cave like entrance into an old and abandoned Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, been so since the Second Era if I remember correctly. The sounds of running water echoed through the chambers with the sounds of dozens of voices, many of the old chambers had been repurposed as storerooms or bunkrooms. Walking by the rabble I had my own destination in mind and so I descended the various sets of stairs to lower levels, some are stone from the original structure, others are wooden platforms that were made far more recently. Some of the levels held shops selling off the goods the guild brought in, nearly all of it was stolen from somewhere although I knew there was a few smiths that made original works down below.

In short this was a city under a city, full of people who tend to play loose with the laws of the lands around us. More than a few shops made and sold food to the people here, one I know sends meals for free to the beggars in the city above once a week. This city rarely slept, especially considering that underground it's difficult to judge time by the sun. Guards patrolled the numerous levels, hired and trained by the guild itself to stop fights, prevent thefts, and catch murderers. Just because they are built around illegal activity doesn't mean they are lawless themselves, after all a well-run business requires rules and so all of that activity must be handled outside away from others.

The guards even had their own quarters built around a large central pillar of sorts which provided them an excellent vantage point along with a good location to respond to nearly any problems. My goal was actually under the guard tower, where the true Thieves Guild members met and did business, everything above was tied to the Guild but few of them were true members. Things were kept rather loose to allow more business while still considering them members, basically they were all considered Footpads. Passing the guards at the door with a quietly muttered password I descended once more the next level was far more quiet.

A small underground river ran along one side of the natural cave that this part was built into. In the middle was a small bar and cooking area with a few tables and chairs scattered around meanwhile most of the space of the cavern was occupied by a large series of cages. Not cages in the normal sense but each contained numerous safes and lockboxes and each cage moving from left to right grew smaller but also more secure ending in a massive vault. Said vault was dug into the bedrock and lined with granite while being made of ebony. Rumor had it that the vault had layers of orichalcum, dwarven metal, and malachite. The door was easy enough to see with the five separate locks though I've never seen it opened. Getting to the door still required getting through the five cages each had their own locked door between them along with the tellers within who were armed and had to be interacted with through slots under the eyes of a pair of guards stationed at either end of the cages. Items of increasing value were stored in the cages ending in the vault.

So I walked over to the first cage and began unloading my stash from my latest job for the Breton woman to record and sort. Selling most of my large items, staves, weapons, scrolls, maps, and jewelry that added up to several thousand septims, not including the few hundred I was paid and roughly three thousand I had found on the job. Depositing the gold into my account along with the Akaviri katana into my own private vault within their system my business was done.

My business there done I needed to relax and got a cup of tea from the barman. Turning around an old friend of mine was sitting at a table, somehow I had missed her there, maybe I am tired after this long day. Motioning to the seat across from her I took the invite and sat down. "So what do I owe the pleasure of you're company, Denko?" She asks in her usual soft voice, actually kind of fitting for a thief of her calliber.

"Just finished a job and had a few things to sell off Karliah. I'll probably take a small break and see if the Brotherhood has any jobs for me." I explain before sipping at my tea, tastes great no doubt thanks to quality ingredients and the fresh clean water. I'd tried getting them to make my personal blend of tea but one demonstration and tasting and it was dropped like a hot knife. So I had to make my own whenever I had time and materials at whatever place I happened to be at the time I needed to make more.

"I saw the haul you had from here, not bad. Plus a new addition for your collection. Do I get to know what you did for those?" The Dunmer woman asks, her violet eyes that were so different from her brethren that they made her unique among her race. Not counting her skills as a thief which were so good that she could obtain the amount of gold I did with such ease that she was a legend among the Guild. Supposedly pulling in as much gold in a week as ten others did in a month combined. Though since the Dovakin had died in Skyrim, Karliah had assumed the Guild Master title of the Skyrim branch and continuing the Dragonborn's success in bringing back the Guilds influence. Now I'm assuming that she was down here to help make sure things were running smoothly, the various Masters from the guild branches occasionally came here to report their own progress in their regions and establish new contacts for moving goods as needed.

"Maybe later I'll give you the details. Short version is that the Legion hired me to assist them and I found a few goodies along the way." She laughed at the story and the thought that the Legion had been hiring a thief to help them. For one it showed how desperate they were to not lose their numbers and utilized mercenaries. Secondly was that I ended it with a wide yawn which showed just how tired I was. Thinking back I haven't slept since about sunrise yesterday, not the longest stretch without sleep I've gone but being tired on the job tends to get people killed, especially doing the things I do.

"Get some sleep and tell me later, I'll be here all week. Maybe I'll visit the Imperial City before going back to Riften." Karliah laughs while waving me off. Even tired I noticed her hiding a yawn behind her hand proving that they are infectious.

"Fine, enjoy yourself while you're here. The city above us is pretty good if you want a good time." With that I grab my bag from the floor next to me and sling it over my shoulders after a quick check that nothing was missing that shouldn't be, it was a den of thieves after all. Making my way back up the steps to the busy markets of the Guild I find my way further upstairs and further away down a worn but recently expanded tunnel that I knew would lead me to the inside of Kvatch itself, just an alley away from the newly rebuilt arena. Once outside in the sunlight a quick stretch and glance at the suns position for the time I headed down the road to the inn I knew would be there, I've stayed there nearly every time I've come to town. The owner of the place knew me well enough and a quick exchange of coins for key I found myself in a room to myself.

Must've been more tired than I thought when I woke up a little after sunset, I barely remember taking off my boots before everything went dark. Looking down I can see that was as far as I had gotten before passing out. A quick check of the door and my marker revealed it hadn't been opened yet and none of my stuff looked disturbed. Call me paranoid but I've lived long enough to know when to be cautious to the extreme and when not to be, this was a mild protection- little more than a simple trick to know if someone opened the door- hardly a protective measure. I've had my share of assassination attempts on myself, mostly by idiots with an axe to grind for one reason or another and most I really don't care and rarely kill them- tend to toss them to the nearest guards and let them deal with them.

A quick meal certainally helped me truly wake up before I step outside into the light of Kvatch proper and a light breeze carried the scents of the town by my nose, some pleasant, some not so. My light clothes let the breeze through and being a warm summer day that was rather welcome. A slow walk through town was relaxing and allowed me to stretch my muscles after my long sleep and I enjoyed looking around at the new things that have popped up since I was here last. A few more homes were the most obvious new buildings as well as something claiming to be a public bath. I knew that there were a number of farms around the city occupying the rolling plains and a large outcropping partway down the cities hill served as the major food market for the region.

Many of the restorations were rapidly made due to fact that the previous buildings had been destroyed, some of the roads within the city were changed since the Great War, and so space was available to the first to grab it. It was actually a high-ranking member of the Thieves Guild who held some power in the Imperial City was appointed as the Baron of Kvatch. Utilizing his resources and a guild with personnel and resources available he was able to organize the rebuilding efforts to maximize the space within and outside its walls. Conveniently the Guild was able locate the old Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary beneath and build a series of tunnels to certain locations alongside the sewers.

The nightlife of Kvatch was substantially less than during the day, leaving the streets easy to walk down without the need to dodge around others. The greatest innovation here was the street sweepers, most of them were doing time and under the watchful eyes of the guards. The sweepers came out at night and were roped together so entire streets could be swept at a time. It was a good way to reduce their sentences and keep the city clean. Still there were a few entertainers that used the night to make their magical lightshows more appealing, the only brothel allowed in the city was always open, two taverns, three inns, and a very nice diner that was affordable to the general public yet high quality enough to attract nobles.

Turning a corner near the eastern city wall I find a Dunmer woman in the robes of a follower of Azura standing in the middle of the road. A brief glance showed she was armed with little more than a simple iron dagger but looks could be deceiving, especially given that many powerful mages rarely carry more than a dagger and lightly armored at best. There were a few exceptions of course. Pausing in my walk as she locked her eyes on me and took three steps my way before pausing herself and seemed to look me over. I was ready to ignore the woman and carry on when she had a small spasm and rose off the ground surrounded by a yellow glow, her arms spread to the sides as if holding something. A bright, translucent sun and crescent moon appeared in her hands as the brightness of the glow around her increased yet never outshone the celestial figures in her hands.

I immediately knew what was happening even though I've never seen this happen before but I have read about it. This woman was acting as a medium for Azura to talk to me. "Mortal! You have been a champion for me in the past and I have need of you again! Go to Mongrel's Tooth Cave to the north and meet with our followers!" Azura commanded through the Dunmer. From experience that was the voice that the Daedric Prince preferred, attitude and all. While said gently there was no question that this was not a request.

Azura cared for her followers and often did what she could for them, through a tough love approach. It was her intervention that allowed thousands of Dunmer to escape Vardenfell before Red Mountain erupted and destroyed nearly all settlements around the volcano along with killing almost every living thing in the vicinity.

Bowing my head in acceptance I still couldn't help a bit of snark in my response. "This should be interesting."

"Now go and listen." Azura says before fading from the woman. The influence of the Prince completely left her once her feet touched the ground and she collapsed to the road. A quick check showed that the was merely unconscious due to physical and magika exhaustion. A guard I recognized walked around a corner just then and rushed at me with a hand on his sword.

"What happened here?"

"She just collapsed here, I was just checking if she was alright. See for yourself." I explain. He scrutinized me with his eyes before motioning for me to stand against the wall. So I did, facing the wall with my hands above my head but within his line of sight and glow of his lantern. Checking the woman over he couldn't help but agree with my assessment.

"Very well, you'll be free to go. I'll take her to the barracks and let our healers help her. Poor girl looks like she hasn't had a descent meal in days." He says as he gently picks her up though forgetting to have a way to carry his lantern. I picked it up and escorted him to the city guard barracks where I left them at the door with the lantern.

Left to wander the streets again on my own and my thoughts went to what Azura had said. She apparently had yet another job for me. I'd done jobs at the request of all of the Daedric Princes at one point or another, the same could be said of the Aedra- all Nine of them. Needless to say the wants and whims of such a varied bunch covered a wide spectrum. Could be why I'm morally ambiguous or I already was and the tasks brought the subject of morality to the forefront of my mind, at least on occasion.

I guess I would start on this in the morning, I'd need to consult my map and gather my supplies anyway. Plus I couldn't help but draw attention to what Azura had said "our followers". Apparently she wasn't alone but I had no idea what that could mean. More than likely another Daedric Prince was involved, though them working together for anything was extremely rare. They were actually more often fighting each other.

Mentally listing the Daedric Princes that might work with Azura, Meridia was the first to come to mind. She was generally considered to be a "good" Daedra and was a Magna-Ge. If so then the task could involve fighting necromancers, tasks for Meridia almost always did. Been there, done that.

Sheogorath was a possibility as well, likely for his own amusement and a common goal with the addition of a high chance to piss off another Prince. Hermoras Mora had greater odds than anyone else and I'd nearly wager my life savings against that possibility. I'd think it would be a pretty sure bet that it wouldn't involve any of the Aedra as they rarely made or could make any overt interactions on Nirn since they used so much of their own power in the creation of Nirn itself. Pretty much all they could do was offer temporary blessings to those who prayed at their shrines. One was actually better off finding any of their artifacts that were scattered across Tamriel.

"This should be interesting." I summed up the situation to myself as I head back to the inn to prepare.

 **Author Notes:** First chapter is done and is pretty damn long, 5300 words over ten pages- not including this AN. Hard to believe that when typing this I left out multiple entire pages from my notes where I actually wrote this story.

Yes, this story has started out with a first person style, just like I did with my other current story **Team DAIT** , even utilizing essentially the same main character. Not the most imagination put forward but having an established character makes things simpler. And if you read one of my fics with Denko in it then you can translate him over from one to another and make the slight adjustment as for where he is for that particular story. Still simple for me while leaving plenty to play with.

Don't worry, while the first person, main character thing is a standard for the Elder Scrolls franchise it will not be for this story. It will come up often enough to be expected if my notes so far are anything to go by, likely ending for the most part after the next chapter.

Do not worry about the category that this is placed in, for those who have made it this far or even found this story you'll likely be a fan of the Elder Scrolls. RWBY will make their appearance soon enough but keep in mind that this will be entirely within the realm(s) of the Elder Scrolls and will try to stick with the lore as closely as possible and will not be any kind of retelling of any of the released games so far. The various heroes will be mentioned but they will have had choices as I have done when playing Oblivion and Skyrim. Any of the other game heroes will require reviewer input, corrections, and research on my part.

On that note please feel free to review this as I'd like to have additional input and constructive criticism from multiple points of view. This goes for both the world of Elder Scrolls and the characters of RWBY.

 **Thank you for reading.**


	2. The Commission

The Commission

Waking in time to see the sun rise and enjoying a nice breakfast thanks to the cooks of the inn, I was ready to start the day and looking forward to my current goal. The mystery surrounding this task was making me anxious. Dressed in my usual armor, extremely durable yet flexible leather dyed in greens and browns, my pack was full of my stuff as I wasn't expecting to come back- also dyed in greens and browns, complete with my pair of daggers at my waist and my personally crafted battle axe. Leaving the city gate I began my trek north around the hill that Kvatch sat on for Mongrels Tooth Cave.

The road was uneventful with few people along the way, didn't even see an Imperial soldier on patrol. Leaving the road it honestly was a nice walk through the countryside, nature had reclaimed and covered over most of the evidence of the Great War. Upon reach Mongrels Tooth Cave the sight of it made me pause- the reason being the tables laden with food and drink and more than a dozen people were partying outside the cave. Lanterns and streamers were hung, the red and purple cloth waved in the light breeze. Seeing the table laden with a wide assortment of cheeses I could help but laugh and think that Sheogorath was involved.

"Guess I found Uncle Sheo, wouldn't be surprised if Sanguine had a hand in this as well." I say out loud, mostly to myself. As if on cue a pair of large banners unfurled proudly displaying the symbols of both Daedric Princes. "Point proven."

Shaking my head as I step into the mouth of the cave I see that some of the décor from outside was around the inside as well, though not much as the party seemed to prefer the open air. I shrug my shoulders at the oddity of the situation knowing I've seen odder things and that seemed to be rather tame by both Princes standards. Pushing forward it didn't take long to notice that there was nothing to hold me back, no animals, trolls, man, mer, Khajiit, or Argonians. So far no Daedra or even goblins. A few minutes later the Candlelight spell in my hand revealed a heavy wooden door, a quick test showed it wasn't locked. Cautiously opening the door, I found roughly thirty people of a variety of races and all wearing differing styles of dress from the enormous Orc in full heavy armor complete with an equally massive war hammer to a scantily clad Breton woman, and Imperial woman in flowing white robes to a Bosmer in filthy rags. Certainly it was an odd grouping to be sure and emphasizing that was the tense atmosphere filled with anticipation, undirected animosity, the air of blissful ignorance, and deliberate refusal to even look at certain others.

An Argonian stepped forward once he had noticed I had slipped through the door. "Are you Denko?" He asks in the often raspy voice of his race.

"I am. Who are you?" I answer.

He stayed serious as he backed away, "Who I or we are is not what matters but who we represent.

The answer was cryptic but I could hazard a guess. A Dunmer woman who looked like she could be the sister of the one who sent me here began to glow with the power of Azura.

"Now that you have arrived we may begin." Azura says. One by one the others in the room began to glow and translucent forms appeared over the assembled mortals, excluding myself. The Orc took the form of Malacath, the Argonian I spoke to was overshadowed by a Hist tree, the Breton woman had become dibella, the robed Imperial woman- Mara, the Bosmer in rags into Namira. It didn't take long for the rest to become recognizable. Zenithar, Magnus, Sithis, Hermaeus Mora, Akatosh, Kynereth, Clavicus Vile and his partner Barbus, Nocturnal, Mehrunes Dagon, Sanguine, Talos, and the rest of the Aedra, Daedra, and Et'ada stood around me in a mere portion of their full glory.

Despite the feeling of intimidation I was getting from being in their presence, not factoring in the numbers, yet my curiosity was overwhelming my fears. Aedra and Daedra and other gods here together, the last time anything like this had happened to my knowledge resulted in the creation of Nirn, even if I knew these figures were mere avatars brought here through living mediums. It generally does take a lot to surprise me and this, this was definitely one of those times and rendered speechless, capable of only looking at the beings around me. At least until Sheogorath threw an arm over my shoulders.

"I think we may have broken him." The Prince of Madness cackles, snapping me out of my stupor. He easily and quite literally danced away from my reactionary backfist. I could here him mutter something that sounded rather painful and/or disturbing and I'd rather not know. In my dealings with I've learned to give his mutterings little worry. Honestly its when he spoke to you directly that you had to worry when things get dark, though even in jest it demanded caution. But he also prefers to be direct when issuing a challenge or orders or a simple contest that would nearly guarantee that you'd be humiliated in some way.

"So, what is this all about?" I ask, aimed at everyone present but keeping my eyes on the Huntsman as he was wandering close by, seemingly sizing up everyone around him as prey and valuing them. He was the one to answer the question though.

"You are going on an epic hunt, the likes of which has never been attempted and only recently conceived." Needless to say I was intrigued by his words.

"What will I be hunting?"

"There are many reasons and ways to hunt, every hunt ends differently beyond success and failure as no one prey is the same as the next. Hunting for sport, for survival, the precarious boundary between predator and prey. This hunt will be more of a capture and transportation to a destination. To kill track and kill prey is sometimes difficult but to capture it and keep it as healthy as possible in doing so is far more difficult. This task will be the greatest test of a hunter any mortal could attempt and I will enjoy watching how far you will go."

Hercine may have answered my question but the answer was left vague, luring my inquisitive mind and adventurous soul like the Lord of the Hunt that he is. The bait was set and drawing me in and I knew it. But I also knew that Hercine loved a challenge but kept things fair. Y'ffre stepped forward to speak since Hercine seemed to be taking his time, enjoying that he held my attention.

"You're first task is to set sail to the west. Follow the setting sun to where Yokuda once was. Some of the land has risen again from the sea. A ring of islands will be your goal as Falinesti has returned to Nirn once more and planted its roots deep into the land ensuring it will never travel through the planes of Oblivion again. There you will wake those who called the Walking City their home from their eras long slumber." The Ehlnofey says softly, almost as if he were singing but there was little room for argument in the tone. Not including that he said Falinesti had returned, Man and Mer had spent eras searching for the city and it apparently had wandered into Oblivion and by the time it came back it was across an ocean! Simply finding it would be the greatest moment in the Fourth Era and likely being considered as impactful to history of the Era as the Great War.

Lost in my thoughts of the Walking City and it's impact on history I nearly missed the draconic form of Peryite moving to my right and looking me over. The so-called 'weakest' of the Daedric Princes spoke once he had my attention. "The fox people of Black Marsh still live, hidden from Nirn behind magical barriers and illusions concealing their opening of a gateway into The Pits. The Lilmothiit have overstayed their welcome and I want them out. Convince them to leave however you see fit and take them to the islands to the west."

The Prince held up a clawed hand and within it a vortex of magika was formed congregating and creating a simple silver ring with a ruby cut into the shape of a fox head on it. "Find them in Black Marsh using this ring, it will glow when you are close and will allow you passage through the barriers."

I figured that would be a mission that would be easiest enough to carry out. From my historical studies my best chance to find the barriers into Oblivion would be within the Shadowfen region of Black Marsh as it was still traversable for those who weren't Argonian yet there were areas that would be out of the way from known Saxheel settlements. It would be beneficial for me to stay away from most Argonian cities without an Argonian friend to escort me safely since Black Marsh has become more isolationist than ever since the Great War and breaking away from the Empire.

Zenithar stepped up to me and began pacing in front of me and began to speak. "Your next task will be to travel north to the Wrothgar Mountains. There are the last two groups of Snow Elves, those who had not been corrupted by the Dwemer that is. Find them and take them to the islands so that they may begin anew without fear of the outside world." The short and curt command somewhat confused me as I had believed a god would have been a little more helpful beyond giving a mountain range to search for people who have been in hiding for thousands of years. Though the god of rewarding hard work this may also be a bit of a test for his favor, his interest in the Snow Elves was interesting in itself but may have been a group interest. On the other hand I have fought my share of Falmer when I had wandered through Skyrim years ago. Perhaps I could try locating the Snow Elf in the Forgotten Vale I had heard rumors of at the College of Winterhold, maybe they had something documented from the Last Dragonborn's adventures.

The massive form of Malacath marched up to me and looked me up and down, the Orc that acted as his medium was already tall enough that I barely came up to his chest making him even bigger than the one I have fought on my last job and the projection of Malacath enveloped him and his armor totally completely making the Daedric Prince far larger than myself. I felt very small now but refused to show any fear to him and matched his gaze, ready to accept any challenge he'd give me. With a curt nod, he seemed to like what he saw in me and took a step back before speaking.

"While you're in those mountains there will be five Orc clans who have been attempting to rebuild Orsinium. They have been loyal to me, dating back to when I was known as Trinimac. They have been attacked by a coalition of the Bretons and Redguards and have stood strong and victorious over their combined forces. Armies are being raised to destroy my followers yet again, I will not stand by and let this happen! Help them destroy the armies, kill their enemies, and lead them to the islands in the west." With his piece done the Prince of the Bloody Vow marched back to his previous place in the crowd to watch the proceedings.

While I was confident in my abilities to fight off multiple enemies at a time due to plenty of practice over the years, fighting an army was another beast altogether, even if I had my own army of Orcs at my back. Redguards were known for their skills with a sword and were considered the best swordsmen as a whole in Tamriel. The Bretons were known for their proficiency in the arcane arts as well as their martial skills, making them among the best battlemages when the Empire was at its height and even now. But from what I knew Hammerfell was no longer with the Empire since the Great War while High Rock was still under Imperial control. Personally this could either be both groups simply allying together again for their eras long habit of laying siege to any attempt to build Orsinium or this could be a test for defeating a commonly perceived enemy before High Rock may break from the Empire and truly ally with Hammerfell again to combat the Aldmeri Dominion.

The figure of Mara seemed to glide rather than walk due to her flowing robes yet throughout this entire meeting I couldn't help but notice that she had maintained a serene smile on her face such that one could claim her to oblivious to what was going on around her, honestly that smile while standing next to Molag Bal and Mehrunes Dagon was just plain creepy. "All beings deserve love in any form, in this case a simple new home away from prejudice so they may live in peace. In your travels you will come across some goblin tribes who's shaman will recognize this medallion as I have given them visions to guide them to you to lead them to their new home." In a small flash of magicka a rather simple medallion dropped into my hand, it was a circular copper plate with a large central bulge surrounded by twenty or so smaller bumps in two rows. Simple but I recognized that this could be an extremely basic model or what the collection of islands would be that I'm supposed to take all of these people to.

'There is yet another tribe who will require your assistance, a tribe of Reiklings have been working to 'modernize' themselves on the island of Solstheim. Bring all of these tribes with you to the islands to the west." With that said she glided back to her assumed position still with that smile on her face.

Never been to Solstheim before but I know of it, after the Red Year the High King of Skyrim had gifted the entire island to Morrowind to serve as a refuge for the Dunmer fleeing Vvardenfell and even some of the mainland northern coastline region that was being plagued by volcanic fallout that even they couldn't handle. Apparently the Dunmer were able to set up a decent community at Raven Rock where they were made a decent living mining ebony. Heard there was an old Nordic village there as well, the only place that was capable of forging stahlrim into weapons and armor. A few Dwarven ruins as well as Nordic ruins dotted the island were available for those who wanted to risk their lives to loot and/or study the ancient cultures. I vaguely remember hearing about Reiklings living on the island but little else, guess I'll figure things out when I get there.

Meridia approached next, actually floating towards me but not due to her etherial wings flapping. Your last task will be to retrieve the Dwemer from my realm. They have been lost in the currents of Oblivion since their attempt to use the Heart of Lorkhan. Recently they have managed to crawl their way into my domain where there is stability. My patience of their intrusion has already run thin but I will wait for you to remove them yourself. When you are ready come to my temple at Mount Kilkreath in Skyrim and I will send you to my plane of The Colored Rooms."

Despite being known as one of the "Good" Daedric Princes she was always bossy and hard-assed when she spoke to anyone, thus anyone who dealt with her quickly learned to deal with it. "Well that should be fun." I mutter dryly, apparently loud enough for some of the closest beings to react with a smile.

Sheogorath proudly marched forward to take her place and started dancing a little jig that left most of the room expressing some form of grief with the Mad God. "It's time for presents everyone!" He shouts joyfully as if he were a young child. This did pique my interest as Aedric and Daedric artifacts were often at least as powerful as what highly skilled enchanters are able to produce today. With a dramatic flair with his hands the Daedric Prince of Madness revealed in his palm a simple looking ring- a single band made of what looked to be ebony and moonstone seamlessly twisted around each other. "I call it… The Bender Ring! Though I had thought to call it the twister. Eh! Doesn't matter! Go ahead and try it." The last part came off as his usual tone when his darker side emerges but I took the ring anyway and slipped it on.

As expected from a magical ring I immediately felt an effect but couldn't identify what it was. What I did notice was the sudden surprised reactions from the others, most managed to keep it under control though Sanguine facepalmed hard enough for the slap to echo around the cave. With curiosity abound I looked over myself to examine what caused such a reaction from the gathered gods. First thing I noticed, mostly because that's what I had started with, was that my hands were smaller, more slender though the small scars and callouses and even dirt remained as I remembered. The trend continued up my arms and legs but my body was now far curvier than before with widened hips and breasts to match. A slight shift in my stance signaled that the change was rather thorough, even going as far as to adjust my armor to fit my changed figure. It was slightly annoying that I was now even shorter than before, I had enough height and reach issues normally. Figuring I could examine the effects this might have for my work later I took off the ring and was restored back to normal.

During my distraction it became very apparent that Hercine and Molag Bal had entered a heated argument over granting me lycanthropy or vampirism. Honestly I could see the benefits and negatives of both but with the way they were going at it nothing was going to be resolved anytime soon.

"Come now gentlemen! Can't we discuss this civilly? Make a compromise? A deal perhaps?" Clavicus Vile stepped in between the arguing deities and talking to them as though they were children. Whatever the two were going to say died on their lips as they looked to their "mediator".

"What do you have in mind whelp?" Molag asks, though asking and demanding were one and the same for him. Hercine for his part stayed silent and waited quietly and letting the Prince of Wishes guide the Rape King into whatever trap he may have in store.

"Why not grant our chosen champion both? Why choose one or the other when I could create a token that lets him choose freely to change from one to the other!" The Prince of Bargains announces, Barbas sat a stride away wined loudly but was ignored.

I saw the assembled the Aedra and Daedra looking about in confusion and speaking in whispers to each other while likely having telepathic conversations with others at the same time as they debated the proposal. I saw how such a gift could be utilized but knew there could be some drawbacks. Fortunately, I knew one of them would have little issue fixing that bit.

"Works for me but Meridia makes the amulet." I proclaim and steady my gaze at the gods before me. Clavicus visibly deflated though held some pride that it was his idea at play. Meridia for her part leveled scrutinizing eyes at me, searching for any hints of dishonesty or trickery and I had the distinct feeling that she was peering into the depths of my soul. After some time she relented and motioned for the Huntsman and Dominator to stand before her. I noticed the avatars of Kynereth and Akatosh moved behind her wings. I didn't have to wait long before feeling and watching as several massive powers merged and molded some stones and gems that were nearby in a brilliant display of multifaceted lights and magika. Seconds passed before a bronze amulet with a thick black strap was suspended in the air above Meridia's hands.

The amulet itself was a thing of elegant simplicity in its shape and beautiful craftsmanship in its prominent designs featuring a wolf head facing to the right as a bat faced the left. The two eyes in the profiles were set with flawless rubies yet as the amulet spun through the air on its back was the head of a dragon looking straight on. Its eyes were also rubies but in its mouth was a sapphire. The oddest part of the whole thing was the small switch at the top which currently rested in the middle. The Prince of Life and Energy allowed the newly created artifact to drop into her hands and a quick test of moving the switch left and right showed that it seemed to function properly for her. I couldn't help but notice that when switched from one or the other the jewels glowed, likely representing where the Princes "gifts" were stored within.

She then handed the amulet to me. "I've used my own power to ensure that you keep your own mind during these transformations, as well as making sure that when you die you will be cleansed of both "gifts" She says this quietly to me but loud enough for the others to hear. It was clear in her tone that she didn't like allowing this, particularly the vampirism, but would have the satisfaction of having the last laugh by denying both my soul. While she was still close I heard her telepathic message, "A little extra was added as well." The fallen Magne-Ge tapped a finger on the dragon as she withdrew her hands.

Of course, Clavicus Vile had to get a last word in. "So why don't we call it the Blood Bargen Band!" Barbas didn't even try to conceal his disappointment in his master as he rolled his eyes and wined. The others involved weren't much better. Sure the loop for the neck was thick and stretchy like a choker but what Vile had called it was likely just a poor attempt at a joke, nearly at the same level as what Dagon or Bal would come up with if they tried humor.

For some time nobody moved which left me thinking that our business here was done when I noticed that some of the shadows along the wall darkened and moved my way. Those shadows stopped moving once they were close before pulling away from the wall as a formless black cloud that absorbed all light around it. Slowly the cloud shifted to a humanoid form, constantly shifting and changing in hight and build, taking the figures of both male and female, never staying in one shape for more than a few seconds at a time. Several times I noticed the figure shift to the form of Argonians and Khajiit before changing again. Then it spoke, always in a whisper yet the voice changed with its forms.

"Denko, Silencer of the Dark Brotherhood, loyal child of the Night Mother, you shall spread my touch to others in time. For now I grant you my blade, the Shadowstrike. The true blade formed of my essence, will come from the shadows from which it was forged at your call. Use it well."

With that the figure melted back into the shadows which moved to the back of the cave, only noted as a darker shadow in a pool of shadows. Thinking upon what Sithis had said, I thought about summoning Shadowstrike to my hand. In a moment the shadows on my arm created by the few torches around the cavern moved and condensed into my right hand. I instinctively grasped at the shadows and they instantly became a dagger. Perfectly fitted for my hand, a slight curve to the double-edged slim blade and no guard. The entire weapon was darker that ebony as if it absorbed the light from its surroundings yet lighter than any weapon I'd ever held before. I knew that this was not a multi-functional tool as other blades were, this had only one purpose- to send new souls to the Void. I would never be without a weapon on hand ever again. Though with magic you could always fight but the limits of ones magika was finite, shadows always existed where there was light and without light and without light the dark is little more than all-encompassing shadow.

A few moments went by without anyone else moving or speaking besides myself as I looked around the cavern at the assembled deities. Without any warning the avatars vanished in a blrilliant display of light and color. Sheogorath burst into hundreds of butterflies that slowly faded as they flew and scattered. Some simply vanished, others seemed to burn away. No matter what they did they were all gone in less than a minute and I was left alone with their followers, all of which were visibly exhausted and collapsed to the floor.

A quick check on them showed that they were fine so I took the time to at least rearrange them to be comfortable when they woke. The Orc was a pain in the arse and was thankfully didn't require much moving but still extremely heavy. I certainly didn't mind that the Priestess of Mara awoke first and began tending to the others so we were done quickly after that. She assured me that she would care for the people here and I should begin my tasks. She still was required to tell me again and all but kick me out the door for me to give in.

Exiting the cave I could see that the party was in full swing and had grown massively, easily quintupling the crowd that had been there when I had entered. I couldn't help but notice that some of the partiers were lycanthropes in their normal forms as well as vampires while I grabbed some food and drink from the tables as I made my way through the crowd. As I grabbed some spiced roast chicken I heard that a group of devout Dibella worshippers had essentially taken over an inn nearby. That news certainly brought more cheer to the men and women to the nearly excessively cheerful party, which as far as I could tell had no purpose but to party- clearly Sanguines style.

I headed back for Kvatch so I could consult my sources and make my plans while slowly drinking from a large bottle of mead- I forgot the name of the makers and the label was illegible but it was valued not for the alcohol content but its flavor. Cheap to make but had brewing that required precise timing of certain ingredients to bring out the various subtle flavors that tickled the pallet. Apparently popular among the wealthy for those reasons and that was reason enough for the makers to raise the price a bit.

Made it back to my room at the inn by sunrise and felt content to sleep until noon, after I had written down the details I had been given by the Aedra and Daedra. A quick meal of a hearty stew for lunch while looking over my personal maps of Tamriel. I'd be going all over the continent and beyond and so I would need to ensure that I'd have the best maps in the various provinces I'd be searching in. Not to mention finding a ship and captain willing to search for Falinesti, convincing the groups I'm sent to find to come with me, solving whatever problems they may have to prove my worth, and finding those who are actively hiding. Needless to say there was no way I was going to get this done by myself. There aren't too many people I know who I could trust to help, sure hiring a mercenary would be easy but they tend to be more loyal to your coin and often lacking in skill, I've killed many myself due to that particular problem. Not to mention few are skilled in any kind of diplomacy that I'm sure I'll require.

Karliah certainly comes to mind but I'd likely need her services in moving goods and information. Plus she has the guild to help run, her duties as a Nightingale, and her love for going out for jobs herself arguing she needed to set an example for the others and keeping her skills sharp. While her skills would be missed she'd be a greater asset to me where she was and I knew she'd understand that. Adding the fact that Nocturnal was one of my "commissioners" would likely bump up any requests I may make to a priority.

Many of my other choices who would be decent unfortunately are too questionable morally or have a far too tight moral compass for the job. They might be better for a quick local operation and end their involvement there. Some of my various guild mates fall into that category as well, those who didn't lacked the skills and trust I needed. I easily spent the rest of the day in my room going over my notes and maps, planning routes, trying to anticipate travel times, climates, supplies required, resistance from wildlife and sapient creatures, contacts and dead-drops, and still trying to find companions to watch my back and assist.

Late in the evening after the sun had set I had my travel pack mostly emptied and its contents loosely sorted in piles on my bed and table, some on the floor. Sometimes I amaze myself with how much I tend to have in this thing most of the time. A small shake revealed that it still wasn't empty so with a shrug I flipped it over and shook the bag letting whatever was inside to fall onto the table. I realized a little late that I had some papers there that was now collecting dirt, a bit less than I expected given how rarely I clean it out, another shake dropped a single septim followed by a small ruby and a somehow intact juniper berry joining the dirt on my papers.

I was a little surprised that they were lodged somewhere in my pack not to mention the berry wasn't squished. Looking at them something clicked in my brain about who might be good companions for my journeys. Quickly I found some unused paper and ink and quill and wrote up nearly a dozen letters.

One week later…

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" A rather short Imperial girl asks.

"Of course I know where we're going!" The apparent leader of the small group tried to explain herself.

"You do realize that knowing our destination and how to get there is different, right" A woman with long black hair asks from her place at the back of the line.

"I-I know that! I just can't seem to figure out where we are on the map!" She responds shaking said map in her hands as they walked down the road.

"This might help a bit sis." The tallest of the four, a woman with long blonde hair, reaces over her sisters shoulder and gently plucks it from her grasp only to turn it over and drop it back into her hands.

"Oh… that helps a lot."

"We're doomed if you can't read a simple map." The short Imperial admonishes the younger girl, her long white hair waved in the light breeze as she continued her criticism of the other girl, not even noticing that she had stopped their progress.

While the blonde was content to let them continue with their little argument, the fourth member of their little party was watching a man running up the road towards them. As he drew near he eventually caught the white haired girls attention sparring their leader from her rant. The blonde stepped up to confront the man as he stopped in front of them. As he caught his breath he cast what looked to be a simple spell in front of him with no visible effects though he looked pleased at the results.

"I have something for you, each of you. Your eyes only." The courier says as he pulls out four letters from his carry bag and a quick check of the names and handing a letter to each girl before running away, likely to his next delivery. The girl in a red cloak was quick to open her letter.

"So what does yours say sis?" Red asks the blonde who simply turned it over so the shorter girl could read it.

"Oh, same as mine."

"Same here." White says.

"Yep." Black echoes.

"Wanna see what he's got for us?" Red asks looking at her friends and sister.

"Sure, let's finish this job for the guild and go. Blonde says excitedly while pointing her thumb at the small statue and various other items strapped to her back. Black and White echoed the sentiment causing Red to cheer and lead them again, only for her sister to grab her shoulder and turn her around to face where they were originally traveling.

"Hehe, oops."

Somewhere near the intersecting borders of Cyrodil, Morrowind, and Black Marsh, two young men were chatting about what kind of contract they should look for when they got back to the Cheydenhall Fighters Guild. Actually it was more the tall blonde man talking and the other man with long black hair barely saying a thing, mostly nodding or shaking his head in response. Meanwhile following them are two red headed women, one of which was much shorter than the rest of them all. The short girl was rambling to her companion and changing subjects as soon as they seemed to cross her mind leaving her taller friend to smile and nod with practiced ease.

A courier stopped them on a bridge, her horse panting from running for so long in a testament to its breeding and training, along with a carrot the short girl pulled from her pack, the horse recovered quickly and seemed ready and willing to run again as soon as her rider, a young Bosmer girl (likely age somewhere between 16 and 50) was. Handing the four their letters they took off again leaving those on foot to marvel at her skill on horseback.

"Think we could borrow her horse for a day?" The short girl asks watching the dust settle now that the horse and rider were far away.

"Doubt it, you'd have to catch them first." The blonde scoffs. She seemed to take that as a challenge but relented when their dark-haired companion placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She pouted until she remembered why the horse was around in the first place and tore open her letter. They soon compared the messages.

"So should we help him?" The blonde asks.

"I'm ready to break some legs!" The crunch of her Warhammer striking the ground permeated the air.

"We are between jobs at the moment." His sole male companion states flatly.

"It has been a while since we worked with him." The tall read-head chimes in.

"Okay then, off to Kvatch!" The blonde announces and begins leading the group west.

 **Authors Notes:** Now things start ramping up! Aedra and Daedra working together? Falinesti has returned to Nirn? Who are the people who received mail? Will this mission be successful? Stay tuned for the next update!

Thanks for suffering through that poor humor starting the AN. This will be the end of most of the first-person view unless marked as such. Though the updates will be slow, likely once a month unless I get a lot of time and desire to write, the last part has been growing lately and I have plenty of notes to work off of to speed the process along with lots of head canon.

Hopefully I portrayed the Aedra and Daedra accurately in this chapter and if anyone has comments and/or corrections to keep this story as lore friendly as possible. As for the timeline of this story it is some time after the events of Skyrim though events relating to the region will follow how I played the Dovahkin myself. While I've already dropped some hints as to how things turned out, Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood are alive and well, though the DB are still in recovery from the events of the Great War and the PO killing members. Honestly if I remember how Ciciro had described the state of the DB in Cyrodil, it seemed that the sanctuaries were abandoned due to the fear of either the Dominion or Legion following a member to them combined with members getting caught in the crossfire from the armies. So to me while the Skyrim branch may have been the last active sanctuary- as they've frequently said- the rest of the Brotherhood likely went into hiding to bide their time, somewhat like the Blades but significantly less hunted making it safer to be one over the other.

Meanwhile the Thieves Guild went through much the same thing but their options for business have always been larger and so having a set up alongside the 'border' between the AD and Empire would be beneficial as there would be plenty of people desperate for work, help, and opportunities to play both sides would be abundant.

Tell me what you guys think and I'll see ya in the next update!


	3. The Gathering

The Gathering

A week later Denko found himself at the hot baths in Kvatch. A group of mages had built the place and in the process integrated many magical enchantments to heat the water that was drawn from a well, some simple mechanisms were used to have the hot water bring the water up, a series of filtration systems, and create a few small fountains within the bath itself and the lobby. It was publicly known that the filters that were used were regularly cleaned to help to keep the water used clean and fresh.

Though Denko was taking advantage of the Bender Ring to use the otherwise unoccupied woman's side of the bath. The reason why could be easily heard even outside of the large building as what seemed to be a platoon of soldiers or mercenaries were laughing and drinking on the men's side. Not to mention the not so subtle sounds of rough housing that had the staff yell at them at least three times by his count. Hardly the place to relax as Denko had intended so she was now in the other side.

Part of the reason she needed to relax was the stress of the mission she'd been given. Sure she had gone over a general overview with Karliah, both of them agreed that without knowing the exact plan that was still in the works and how many people were going to be with him. Still the groundwork had been laid and so Karliah was satisfied with taking stock of what she had available and where. Further details would be needed and expected as the time came and Denko had been assured that Karliah would personally oversee as much as she could and the job would be a top priority. Another reason was that she'd received three replies to her letters already, all of them were her friends that would be glad to help but have prior commitments. The only bright side about that was that all three of them would try to finish a little sooner and would be ready to help later.

"At least they didn't give a flat out no." Denko mutters resting her head on the side of the bath. "Still haven't heard anything from the others though." Glancing at the elegantly twisted ring on her finger and was amazed at how thorough the change was, something she had noticed when examining her new form for any funny business- something Sheogorath would do or even not do just to see how paranoid one might be, either way he'd get a laugh. A little paranoia was healthy when dealing with him, too much or none would make him push harder for his own amusement.

Slightly shorter than her male form which only put her at average height for Bosmer women and extremely short for anyone else. The lengthened hair on her head stayed the same shade of blonde Denko was familiar with though now it was nearly shoulder length. Took a while to get used to hair on the back of her neck. The rest of her body could be best summarized as athletic- well muscled yet not bulky or wiry while maintaining soft curves giving a sense of wild beauty accented by the various small scars and callouses to show it was now stranger to pain and work. At least her eyes stayed their familiar shape and shade of blue as always. The rest of her face was nothing remarkable, nothing to make her stand out, much like her male form.

Her relaxation was cut short when a couple of female voices echoed into the bath. While Denko was honest enough to admit that he did have a passing thought of using the ring to watch women in the bath, it was a fleeting thought and squashed by his pride and respect for women and current gender. Closing her eyes Denko decided to let the new guests get in before leaving. Something about the voices seemed familiar but given that the girls weren't using names it left their identities a mystery and the men on the other side of the divider wall didn't help with all of their yelling.

The padding of four pairs of feet followed by two forms gently slipping into the warm water, a small scream followed by large splash, and a far smaller splash accompanied by laughter marked Denko's cue to leave.

Slipping out of the water she walked to the small pile of towels. Using one to dry off it was hard not to appreciate the softness and the absorbency of the fluffy cloth, and so drying only took a minute before wrapping around herself and making her way to the changing room. The other guests she had left behind were left confused at her sudden departure and ignoring their calls to stay and chat.

It was a curious thing that the effects of the Bending Ring extended to ones clothes and adjusted them to fit them to fit the changed form but apparently that wasn't the limit. The Ring even preserved the changed clothes so long as the ring was worn even if the clothes were removed. As such Denko didn't have to worry about ill fitting or questions about a woman having a man's clothes.

Later that day Denko was watching the sun set from the window of the inn he had been renting a room in for the past few weeks. A couple papers were spread across the table in front of him along with a plate of food that was slowly being worked on. None of the papers were those that required security, those were locked away in his room, as they were basic travel plans that he was going over- details were still being worked out but was now at the point where it was fill in the blank when he decided the size of his group.

The door of the inn opened prompting the workers to greet the new guests with their standard spiel. The group of four patrons sat at the open bar, the dinner rush had finished some time ago, and placed their meal orders along with a bottle of spiced wine to share between them.

"Excuse me." The tallest of them gained the attention of a bar worker.

"Need anything else sir?" The girl asks. She was a rather young Altmer girl- not likely past her teens yet already quite the beauty and she wasn't afraid to use it for a few extra tips but never allowed anything beyond flirting.

"We're looking for someone who asked us to meet him here. He's a Bosmer, goes by Denko." The Breton asks kindly.

Pausing for a moment to mentally go through the guest list. "I know him, been staying here just over two weeks now. Last I took notice he was eating just around the corner here. If not I'll leave a note at his room for you." She answers while gesturing to the eastern wing of the dining area.

"Thank you." The man looks to his companions only to find his Nordic friend missing. The Altmer next to him pointed and following her finger the Breton found their teammate motioning excitedly for them to follow her.

By the time they reached her position she was gone again and was now talking to another patron. Their dark haired member quietly marched over and placed a hand on her shoulder, rather easy as she barely reached his chin. His presence and contact did make her quiet though not her conversation partner.

"Ren? You haven't changed a bit!" The man addressed him. "I see you and Nora are still joined at the hip!" The jest induced a blush on the two prompting a smirk.

"Denko!" Another voice rang out before Ren or Nora could respond.

"Jaune! Pyrrha!" The blonde at the table greeted the approaching pair. "Pull up a seat, need anything?" Denko asks as he quickly gathered up his papers and dropping them in a bag next to him.

"Actually, we already ordered our meals." Pyrrha answers with a smile. Nora suddenly pops back at the table carrying their mugs and balancing the wine bottle on her head.

"I see." Denko deadpans seeing the Nords antics. It had been some time since he had to deal with her and would need to get used to her brand of crazy. Sheogorath more than likely loved the short Nord.

"Our food should be ready soon anyway." Jaune adds with nervous laugh. Nora was a good and loyal friend but she was always a wild card with her antics on and off the battlefield.

"Sooo… What did you need us for? You didn't say much in your letters." Pyrrha tried to steer the conversation towards their work. Especially as they did pass over a couple of decent jobs on their way and needed some more travel funds soon.

"Honestly I can't give you all of the details here and I'd rather not have to repeat myself. I invited some other friends to help and I'm going to save the explanation for if they show up. Maybe wait two more days I already had three other friends write back saying they were busy but might be able to help later. Simply put it's a mission that's big enough to change Nirn forever." The Bosmer told them in complete seriousness.

"When do we start? Do we need to wrestle trolls? Ride a dragon? Oh! When do we get to break some legs?" Nora excitedly rambles and completely destroying any tension at the table. It certainly didn't help that at some point she'd climbed on her chair and held her warhammer high, easily drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Silence reigned for a few moments as the Nord held her pose before she noticed the stares and nervously waved at the other patrons causing them to erupt in laughter.

"How much has she drank so far!?" a man yells from across the room, bringing another round of laughter.

The question only reinvigorated the girl as she claimed her mug from the table and drained it with a smile. "One!" She shouts, setting off a veritable bomb of mirth in the inn.

Ren was simply shaking his head while otherwise impassive, though if you looked closely there was a smile. The rest of the table were laughing quietly themselves as Nora rarely could keep any discussion serious for long. The girl in question literally dropped back in her seat with a satisfied grin and held her mug to Ren expectantly. For his part he merely sighed and filled her mug, halfway.

"I don't mind a dinner and a show but you have to pay for anything you break." The Altmer waitress says with a laugh as she arrived carrying a tray with their food. "Got it?" She adds looking pointedly at Nora.

"Yes ma'am!" The freshly subdued Nord quietly says with a hint of a blush.

The group of five enjoyed their food and drink with good company for some time, telling stories of past jobs and their exploits. That included Nora telling an embarrassing story about Jaune seeing Pyrrha in the bath- that tale was interrupted by its subjects claiming it was late and time for bed and quickly leaving for their rooms. Calling it a night himself Denko gathered his things before retiring soon followed by Ren and Nora. Shortly after the door to the inn burst open as four young women staggered in and spotting a nearby empty table they collapsed into the chairs.

Still on her shift the young Altmer waitress rushed over to check on them. "Are you ladies all right? You seem sick."

The girl in a red cloak answered for them all as she looked up, "We stayed too long in the hot bath." She says before she dropped her head onto her arms folded on the table.

A look of understanding crossed the hosts face, with the hot bat around there were least one person every week who either thought that they could tough out the waters effects or lost track of time and suffered the consequences. Clearly these girls did the latter from the looks on their faces. "I know just what will help you. I'll be right back." With that she left the four women to themselves, thankfully there weren't any patrons around to complain about them as they groaned in pain and embarrassment.

"Here you go. Have this and a good nights sleep and you should be fine, just remember to take it easy tomorrow." The girl says as she slides a tray with mugs of cold milk and some fresh fruit onto the table.

"Thanks." the blonde girl says as she grabs a few coins from her pocket, not bothering to count them. "That enough for rooms?"

"We have two free rooms left right now." A thumbs up was her answer so she walked back to the counter to check them in.

"This is not how I wanted to start my time in this city." The girl in white moans as she chews on an apple.

"At least we're clean." Red offers.

"I think I'm done with water for a week." The black-haired girl complains as she reaches for a strawberry, only to grasp at nothing. The food and drink were helping but she had no problem grabbing her choice of fruit a minute ago. Dismissing it as tiredness she reaches for another strawberry she spotted only to find it gone when she blinked. Rubbing her eye she surveys the rest of her team expecting and finding the same exhaustion she was succumbing to. Though she did spy more red than normal with her one friend, namely a small pile of strawberries in front of her. So she wasn't just seeing things but she wasn't in the mood to fight over it. Now if it was some fish…

"Here's your keys. Last doors on the right." Their waitress explains setting the pair of shaped metal on the table along with their change.

"Thanks again!" The blonde responds before popping a grape into her mouth.

By the time the girls had finished their meal they had recovered enough to make it up the stairs without too much trouble. Red and Blonde took the last room in the hall leaving the other room to their black and white themed girls. The single beds in both rooms were wider than most that they were used to but that worked in their favor even if they were too tired to care. They at least had the energy to remove their shoes before dropping to the world of dreams where they stayed until sunrise.

Imagine their surprise when they walked out their doors into old friends, not figuratively in the case of a blonde Breton and a red cloaked girl.

Breakfast at the Hilltop Inn was always a busy time of the day. Today was no less busy due all of the rooms being filled and plenty of townsfolk coming in for the good food that the cooks made fresh daily and the waitresses were easy on the eyes for the men and the male staff held a few ladies' hearts. With nearly all of the tables full and her workers rushing about filling orders, refilling drinks, collecting dishes, and encouraging the bards to play something upbeat and cheerful to accompany the sunny day, the Hilltop Inn was best described as organized chaos. The Imperial woman who ran it looked on with pride as it meant that her business was running well. Sure this was the busiest time of year but she knew that even in the slow times the dining area would be at least half as full, she just might have to seriously consider expanding the inn. Honestly, she preferred to bask in the hectic mornings, work the books during lunch when it was slower before joining the chaos at dinner time. While she had no children herself she'd all but adopted some of her staff and a few actually were.

Coming down the stairs now were a number of girls that would make anyones heads turn, her adopted daughter- the youngest at the moment, had informed her that they were late arrivals yesterday. Leading the charge was an unusually short Nordic girl dressed simply in a white shirt and a pink skirt with a belt around her waist complete with a pair of boots. Her chin length orange hair was left free and her turquoise eyes and bright smile seemed to light up the room. Though the muscles she could see thanks to her exposed arms and legs told her getting physical with the girl would be a bad idea.

The Altmer behind her was head and shoulders taller than her Nord friend, Her fiery red hair drawn into a high ponytail over a simple bronze circlet accented her emerald eyes nicely with a soft smile and pale skin practically held the definition of Altmer beauty. Her warriors body was wrapped in a simple red and bronze colored dress.

Following her was an Imperial with long white hair, unusual for a girl so young, set in an off-center ponytail with a fancy hair clip of sorts. Her pale skin only marred by a scar over her left eye and those eyes of hers, their light blue color seemed like ice. A simple yet elegant dress in blue and white and a pair of heeled sandals made up her clothes. The girl was rather slender compared to the other two, not everyone grew out t the same time- if at all, and she was only about the same height as the Nord.

The next was obviously younger than the others but not by much. Her short black hair transitioned to red at the tips and was left messy, especially compared to her white-haired friend. Her red trimmed black shirt and skirt matched her hair along with the black leather boots on her feet. What stood out most beyond her incredably innocent face was her silver eyes. Definitely a unique feature that sets her apart from anyone else. The red cloak clasped around her shoulders to trail by her ankles was another eye catcher.

Confidently striding behind her was the second tallest of the group but stood out from the others due to her veritable mane of golden hair that almost seemed to have a light of its own through its waves and curls that reached her waist. An easy smile adorned her round face and lilac eyes would tease any man who saw her. A brown trimmed yellow shirt stretched across her generous chest and a brown skirt wrapped her hips, a pair of brown boots, and an orange scarf around her neck.

Lagging behind her, likely due to reading a small book, was a black haired Khajiit who could easily pass as human or mer if her ears didn't make themselves known which were twitching at various sounds. An Ohmes-Raht if she remembered the Lunar Lattice chart correctly. Pale skin, amber eyes, and long wavy black hair seemed to give a mysterious beauty to her. A simple black shirt and pants with purple edging and black shoes hugged her lithe form in all the right places. A Black fur belt wrapped around her waist, though it was likely her tai, an ingenious way to avoid drawing attention to it and keeping it safe from roaming hands and anything that could pinch it.

Needless to say that the little procession drew the eyes of many of her patrons, one she noted walked into a wall and spilling his ale on himself. That drew some attention from the girls to the poor sap who was now embarrassed and likely to be a joke for the rest of the day with his friends. Following the women with her eyes she saw the men who were their companions who were already at a table readied for all of them.

The Bosmer who had been staying here for nearly a month so far was handsome enough for her though she preferred her men to be taller. He wore a simple green shirt and brown shorts with brown boots. The blonde was known by the staff as easy going and respectful to everyone but she could see the muscles and scars and how he moved, she knew an experienced warrior who had been in many battles and lived through them all. The small dagger in his belt wasn't just for show. Plus he was no brute like many of the fighters she'd seen, the extensive notes and charts were enough but a few glances while serving customers proved they were far over her skill level and she liked to think she was a smart woman who could cast some useful spells and navigate the library with ease.

Sitting nearby is a Dunmer man, though it was difficult to tell. Pale skinned for his race and ears that were barely pointed and facial features that resembled the Akaviri humans she'd read in a book once. Long black hair left to hang loosely down his back, eyes she swore were pink, and an odd streak of his bangs was dyed pink. A long green shirt, grey pants and tall black boots completed his looks. Honestly the man looked like he could mingle in a crowd of Bretons better than his fellow Dunmer.

Next to him is a tall Breton, messy blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a wiry build with good muscle definition. A black shirt with a hood, blue pants, and brown boots. Nothing about him particularly stood out beyond his politeness and that he was the tallest of the lot of them. Though given that many of them, the Altmer included, seemed to defer to him and the silver-eyed girl inclined that they were leaders of their little group of friends. Plus the fact that the two groups of four had come separately and hadn't known the others were here until this morning, she'd wager they were good friends but often split their group to do more and come together for bigger tasks. Which left the Bosmer as the outlier and they all deferred to him already.

A loud crash of breaking dishes immediately drew her attention away. Looking around she spotted one of her new help, a young Khajiit girl with a bright red mane, obviously trying to ignore a group of her loudest and rowdiest regulars. The girl was new and as expected had a few plates and glasses broken by accident but that had ended over a month ago. Any thoughts that this could be an accident ended abruptly upon seeing one of the men yanking her tail and slurring some obscene words to the lass. And so she marched over drawing her own hidden dagger and summoning a bright green spell to her hand. Many of her workers in the room followed suit after her.

Those men did not stay within the establishment for long, one of which was required to be dragged out. Cleo Vakarian was a friendly woman but this was the latest example of her getting mad and those men would not be back without risk of becoming eunich's.

"We got here late yesterday so we paid for a snack and rooms and passed out." Yang explained to the occupants of the large table. It went without saying among her team to not bring up that they lost track of time in the hot baths.

"Oh, so that's why we didn't see you. We didn't get here until dinner ourselves." Jaune responds.

"What did you call us here for Denko? Your letters didn't say." Ruby asks as she nibbled on a piece of cheese.

"It's a pretty big job that I'm sure would be next to impossible to do alone. That's why I needed you. I asked a few other friends but they were busy and needed time before they'd be free to help." The Bosmer explains.

"What is this job then?" Pyrrha inquires with the others echoing the sentiment.

"That I'd rather not say in town, too many people I wouldn't want to risk overhearing it. Some of them might make the job harder than it already is. Let's finish eating and go out so I can explain freely."

After a good breakfast of various fruits, nuts, meats, and bread the nine of them left the Hilltop Inn and out the gates and heading west. Idle chatter was made as they walked while Denko led them to a tall hill covered in a wide variety display of flowers and hilltop itself occupied by a lone tall tree with a small stream ran at the bottom where several small waterfalls could be heard. In essence a picture of the beauty of nature that was also a likely a romantic getaway for couples in the city.

"Oh wow! This is a great view!" Ruby exclaims as she looks around from their vantage point, Nora was just as animated while the rest were far more reserved in their enjoyment.

"So… what did ya drag us out here for?" Yang asks as she sits in the grass, idly toying with a flower. "Not that I don't appreciate the scenery."

Taking a moment to look around the hill and collecting his thoughts, the Wood Elf looked to his friends who were patiently waiting for him. "The Aedra and Daedra came to me with a mission to undertake. Apparently, the walking city of Falinesti has returned to Nirn and is now located among a collection of islands where Yokuda once was. We'd have to sail over there and find the tree and wake up the occupants. Then there's a couple clans of Orcs who were attempting to rebuild Orsinium but are now under siege from and army from both Hammerfell and High Rock. We'd have to save them and take the Orcs over to the islands.

Mara wants me to find a few goblin tribes and a tribe of Reiklings to take them back to the islands, there's a pair of Snow Elf clans that are in hiding as are the Lilmothiit, and at some point go to Meridia's realm to retrieve the Dwemer." He concludes and sees the expected incredulous looks on their faces.

"Wha…" The silence was broken by Ren of all people, a little odd as he was among the most articulate speakers when he decided to speak which just showed how surprised the normally unflappable mer was.

"Did you say we're to bring back the Dwemer?" Ruby squeaked out. At confirmation she actually squealed in joy though Blake didn't enjoy the pitch if her folded ears were any indication. "When are we going for them? I have so many questions to ask them! Maybe they can teach me their forging techniques or we could compare what I managed to learn of their shifting mpphhhh!" The cloaked girl blabbered until her sister covered her mouth. While she tried to keep going for few seconds before falling silent yet her excitement was clear even to a blind Argonian.

"Done?" Yang asks, still not removing her hands until Ruby resigned and nodded. With Ruby sitting quietly again the blonde went back to playing with the flowers.

Denko simply waited for things to settle by leaning against the tree. He watched as their faces revealed their thoughts. Ruby was obviously excited at the prospect of meeting the Dwemer in person. Nora looked ready to go. Ren was peacefully stoic as normal but had a determined edge. Weiss seemed to be silently going over mental notes on history. Jaune still looked somewhat confused but shifted to stern. Blake seemed to be ignoring the world around her in favor of her book but wasn't reading and her ears were constantly twitching. Pyrrha seemed to calmly preparing herself mentally for having nearly everything she knew to be overturned. Yang looked relaxed but slightly worried but eager to get started.

"You realize that three of the races are supposed to be extinct and Falinesti is considered to be one of the greatest mysteries on Nirn with centuries dedicated to find a trace of it. And you're saying that it just walked back and landed on Yokuda?" Weiss asks but it sounded like a statement. "Thant's not including that you're supposed to deal with goblins! And whatever Reiklings are!" The white-haired girl seemed to be having reality fall around her for a few moments before collecting herself. Denko thought that situations like this would have Sheogorath falling off his throne in laughter, it would be something the Mad-God would enjoy and likely knew this would happen at some point.

"Trust me on this, it was hard enough for me to believe when seeing their avatars all together and not fighting much." Denko shrugs at the memories. "They did give me a few presents to help." The Bosmer dropped his hands into his pockets.

"Like what exactly?" Pyrrha asks, genuinely curious. It was rare enough to anyone to credibly believe anything involving the Daedric Princes would be good outside of the Dunmer. To see an Altmer not reacting violently was nearly a sight to behold in itself.

"Well, Peryite gave me this ring. It's supposed to help me find the illusions and barriers that the Lilmothiit erected to tie themselves to Nirn while escaping to Oblivion from the Knahaten Flu." He explains holding the simple looking ring in his fingers. Weiss took the ring and held it in her hands as she closed her eyes in concentration.

"It's full of detection and disillusion magic!" She says after a minute before giving the ring back where it was returned to a pocket.

Yang laughed a little. "So what else do you have up your sleeves?"

Taking the opportunity to play along with her he summoned Shadowstrike to his hand causing the others to gasp while Yang simply laughed harder realizing the silent follow up he did.

"What is that blade?" Ruby asks as she got far to close to the solid shadows for Denko's liking.

"This is Shadowstrike, a blade made from shadows and granted to me by Sithis himself." Was the easy answer as the blade was fiddled with in his hand briefly before dismissing it back to the shadows.

"Sithis? The Void? It gave you that weapon?" Ren asks. He was the most likely along with Blake to make the connection of Sithis and the Dark Brotherhood as they were both stealthy agents. Having strong skills that line up well with assassination seems to attract rumors of the guild to those individuals.

"Yep, apparently Sithis is just as interested in this as Akatosh. Most of the others didn't say much or anything but I'm pretty sure that their presence lent their support to the cause."

"This is a lot to take in. It's rare enough to even here of the Daedra working together but they are working with the Aedra." Weiss says with her head in her hands.

"Trust me on this, it was weird enough for me. Had no warning beyond an acolyte of Azura contacting me. Thought it was just her or even the Tribunal until I got there and all of them had a representative of their own to act as a medium. We had our little conversation, got some gifts, they left and I helped take care of the people there." Denko shrugs.

"Did they give you anything else?" Pyrrha asks trying to steer the conversation to a slightly different topic to avoid the uncomfortable thoughts of the gods cooperating.

Pulling the Bending Ring from his pocket he held it up for the group to see. "That looks interesting. What does it do? Who's it from?" Blake asks. Her book was set to the side and the page marked.

"This came from Sheogorath." He began, slightly amused when some of them flinched in response. "As for what it does…" The Bosmer slipped the ring on and instantly felt the change take place as he took a female form complete with his clothes adjusting to fit. Her friends were certainly were surprised, displaying such emotion in various degrees but it only took Nora a few seconds before she broke into wild laughter shortly followed by Ruby. Pyrrha and Jaune uncomfortably laughed finding the situation somewhat embarrassing for their friend. Yang had a very different reaction…

"Hey! You're that girl from the bath!" She yells jumping to her feet, pointing accusatorily at the blonde girl. Said girl now looked uneasy.

"W-wait! That was you?" Denko asks.

Grabbing her shirt and pulling Denko close to make sure they were eye to eye, which meant that Denko was being lifted nearly off the ground. "So you admit it!"

"I had my eyes closed as soon as I heard anyone coming in! I left as soon as possible." Was the honest reply. The taller blonde looked into her eyes for any signs of deception. Slowly she lowered the smaller girl back to the ground but didn't let go.

"Why were you there in the first place?" Blake asks as she stood behind her friend.

"You heard the men's side, right? I needed some time to relax and I wasn't gonna get it over there. I just used the ring after I found out no one was in the women's side claiming it was for my twin sister who was very self-conscious."

"You have a twin sister?" Nora pops into the conversation.

"No but right now I may as well be my own twin sister."

"So you say you saw nothing?" Weiss continues the interigation.

"I didn't even say a word and even waited until I heard everyone was in the water to minimize any chances of seeing anything."

Still watching very closely for signs of lying Yang finally relents and releases her captive. Still she couldn't help but notice how well built the Bosmer was in this form. That didn't mean she was going to let this go completely, dropping a hand on the shorter girls' shoulder and giving a good squeeze she quietly says, "Next time you even try that again without our knowledge I will have a new punching dummy. Got it?" She grinned ferally at the frantic nods in response before releasing her and sitting next to her sister again. Denko could have sworn that her eyes had turned red from their usual color. Weiss and Blake waited a few more seconds before sitting as well while Pyrrha held a hard stare at the boy turned girl a while longer before relenting. Ruby found the situation embarrassing but didn't say a word while Nora held a slight blush but looked like she thought the whole situation was amusing.

With a small cough to clear the air a bit Denko removed the ring and restored his birth form before pulling out the last trinket for the rest to see. The wolf and bat faces caught the light of the sun as did the dragon on the back side. All of which caught the attention of the assembled warriors. "This is the Blood Bargain Band, or so Clavicus Vile wants to call it." He began. Upon seeing the attention was back on him for better reasons he continued, "This was made by Meridia with contributions by Hercine and Molag Bal" He points to the wolf and bat respectively before turning the amulet over. "Kynereth and Akatosh added their own power here, I think."

"Molag Bal! Are you insane?!" Weiss screeched. The Prince of Domination and Rape was rather infamous after all, Hercine was always considered one of the most acceptable of the Princes to serve and unlikely to receive such a reaction.

"Settle down, yes Molag Bal had a hand in this but Meridia got the last laugh. She made the amulet so that whoever wears it can choose to become a werewolf," He points out the switch and twitches it towards the wolf before moving the switch towards the bat. "or a vampire. But she made sure to enchant this so that my mind stays my own and preventing any change to my soul and so none of the Princes could try to lay claim to my soul." The explanation seemed to settle some of their fears.

"Not sure what the dragon is for but while the switch is in the neutral position it apparently isn't neutral but has selected the dragon…" Denko drifts off and the group seems to deflate a bit at the revelation.

"So you don't know what it does?" Ruby asks looking at the Blood Band curiously.

Shrugging his shoulders as he slips it back into his pocket, "Never tested it at all. Honestly, I felt the need to have strong and trustworthy people around before I try it. As much as I can count of Meridia's hatred of the undead and corruption I have my own doubts on how thorough she was with her enchantments."

"Are you saying that you want us around when you use that to go werewolf or vampire?" Jaune was floored with what was going on.

"Pretty much, yeah. If I can't control the transformation, I'd be counting on you to put me down." Denko was serious as he said this, causing Jaune and Ruby to become increadably nervous at the prospect.

Silence reigned on the hilltop as the people occupying digested what they heard and said. The flowers and grasses waved in the breeze while the sun shone brightly warming the land below in the late spring weather. A few small fluffy clouds drifted by like the numerous butterflies visiting the flowers. A red cloak fluttered.

"I'm in, you're going to need help no matter what and I'm ready to do what I can." Ruby states as she stood there looking at her friends and offers a smile to the Bosmer.

Rising to her feet, "If my baby sister is going then so am I. Besides I can't say no to an adventure like this." Yang wraps a arm around Ruby's shoulders.

"Let's break some legs!" Nora cries out raising Ren's hand.

"Someone is going to need to watch you're back." Jaune adds.

"I second that." Pyrrha says with a laugh.

"Guess we're the mature ones who'll have to keep them in line, right?" Weiss asks as she looks to the Khajiit who responds with a nod.

"Thanks guys. Let's try this thing out tomorrow. Today we catch up and have fun!" Denko says with a thankful smile and a bow.

Later that night after spending the rest of the day playing games and telling stories of some of their misadventures Denko was in his room writing a letter. After rereading what he had written he seemed satisfied and sealed it before taking the letter outside with him as he enjoyed the cool night air. Eventually wandering to a secluded corner outside of the lord's manor's wall where the street lights couldn't reach. It was only in this dim light that on a certain stone block that a depiction of a skull could be seen. Utilizing Shadowstrike to pry the block to reveal that it was a hidden door of an empty space that was large enough to hold a human head. Denko slipped the letter inside before swinging the stone door shut so that it was impossible to tell that it could move. A single nightshade flower was dropped at the base of the wall before the elf walked back to the Hilltop Inn and the comfort of his bed.

 **Authors notes:** I hope you guys are enjoying this story and it's not wandering too much. I'd love to see any comments and concerns that my readers may have. I hope I did teams RWBY and JNPR justice in my descriptions but before anyone get's on my case about Ren being a Dunmer and Pyrrha an Altmer… First of all only Dunmer had red eyes, sure Ren's are pink but this is about as close as possible in the ES universe plus there's the addition that by his description his father and/or grandfather was a human from Akavir (any mixed race couple will always have children matching the race of the mother but have features of father). As for Pyrrha, the height, looks, and desire for perfect form seems to match both her and the Altmer.

Plus there's the fact that I play them as such in ESO. That also means that Weiss is an Imperial which seems to fit her quite well. As for Nora being a Nord.. that should be self-evident. Jaune being a Breton, see my answer for Nora. Blake, the Ohmes are nearly identical to Bosmer but the Ohmes-Raht are described as looking like Bosmer yet retaining tails, ears, and claws. Which means I'm keeping her as an Ohmes-Raht. As for Ruby and Yang I've yet to say what race they are. Not sure I'll give a definitive answer on that. I did have the idea of bringing in Ilia at some point but that would be a long time coming.

Constructive criticism is welcome and feel free to let me know where I get the ES lore wrong. Just keep in mind that this story may have RWBY in Elder Scrolls but with RWBY having always lived in Elder Scrolls universe.


	4. The Tests

The Tests

The next morning the group of nine left Kvatch for Mongrel Tooth Cave, back to where Denko had been given orders from the gods. Prepared in their armors and weapons checked and cared for the varied individuals were practically set for a war with the gear they carried. Nora's massive war-hammer, Jaune and Pyrrha's swords and shields, Weiss' staff, and Denko's halberd were enough to give anyone who might have thought about causing trouble doubts of their chances of survival even if their numbers weren't taken into account. That's not to say the others weren't dangerous at first glance, they just merely hid it slightly better. Ren's daggers, Yang's maces, Blake's swords, and Ruby's short sword all presented very real threats and everyone walked with some form of confidence, the same confidence of warriors who had been involved in several life-threatening fights and lived to tell the tale.

The journey north was boring aside from the occasional traveler and the small Imperial patrol seen in the distance, it was likely that there was a Dominion patrol watching them as well from across the border from a distance. Apparently, any evidence of the party from the night Denko was given his orders was gone but Denko was willing to bet that the nearby inn remembered that night, even willing to bet that the Dibella devoted didn't stay for just that night. Luckily for them the cave was still unoccupied and so they followed the Bosmer to the chamber where he met with the Aedra and Daedra.

"So this is what the divines feel like…" Weiss was in shock as she felt the residual energies from etherial beings as soon as they entered the cavern. All of the more magically attuned members could feel the effects with ease while the others certainly felt something different but not to the same extent as Weiss, Ren, Denko, and Pyrrha.

"Trust me on this, it wasn't a particularly fun experience. Each of their followers were powerful in their own right and were being used as a medium for manifestation. They were able to utilize their powers here with little issue, but I'm pretty sure it was only a small portion of their power." Denko says softly yet was heard by all in the chamber as they were looking around.

"Guess it's a good thing they didn't really want to hurt you." Ruby tries to find the bright side of the situation. The Bosmer couldn't help but chuckle at her comment.

"Think you could have taken them?" Yang asks, the blonde was always eager for a good fight.

"The followers themselves? Maybe one or two at a time I'd give them a good run for their money but I'd actually have to fight them to find out. Still wouldn't like my chances against all of them at once, even if the Aedric and Daedric followers fought eachother." Yang couldn't help the appreciative whistle at the admission. She liked the confidence and humility he displayed.

"Denko, you said you wanted to test something here?" Ren brought back the reason they were here in the first place.

"Oh…right." Denko sighed as he drew out the Blood Bargain Band from a pocket in his armor. "I wanna test this thing. Here we are far enough away from town to avoid interference. That and I'm trusting you all to keep me under control or stop me by any means necessary."

"Any means necessary?" Ruby squeaks as Denko slips the amulet around his neck.

"Yep." He seemingly ignores the cloaked girl. "Now I'm going to try the wolf first. Time to see if Meridia got it right."

The assembled warriors readied themselves as the Bosmer flicked the switch over towards the wolf face. A few moments passed before Denko shuddered violently and took a step backwards as he hunched over while having convoltions. They couldn't help but stare as his arms flew out to the sides as they grew longer, hands growing larger, nails turning into claws as fur erupted from his skin. His clothes seemed to disappear as the fur spread and the transformation finished leaving a werewolf that appeared light brown in the dim light of the torches in the cavern.

The beast stood there on all fours panting, sounding like a dog after a long run. Slowly it raised its head revealing blue eyes that searched its surroundings, a small snarl let them see the sharp fangs. The wolf rose to its hind legs, standing to full height that was taller than either Jaune or Pyrrha, and flexed its arms and claws. Blue eyes traveled over the owners' body, seeing it for the first time and testing it. Eventually a clawed hand reached for its face and felt it before sweeping back over its head to the neck before dropping to its side. Somehow some of the fur between his ears stayed mussed up.

"Denko?" Ruby was the first to speak since they began. The wolf flicked an ear in her direction before turning his head to look at the girl. While she was tense in case she was attacked the creature had yet to make any hostile gestures or even a glare. Slowly the beast nodded before turning away and looking over himself again. The simple action made most of the rest of them relax for the most part, yet still ready as they watched.

Denko eventually seemed to get tired of standing there and dropped back to all fours and started to walk, slowly at first and speeding up as he got used to the new form. Soon he was jumping and rolling around the cavern, letting out barks that resembled laughter including his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted. Some time later the werewolf padded over and flopped to the ground by Yang and Nora's feet who shared a grin before rubbing his belly, leading to the expected result of doing such to any canine complete with leg shaking.

Denko managed to gain the sense to flick the switch on his amulet and transform back to normal, rather thankful that whatever magics were worked into the trinket kept his clothes and armor even if they disappeared during the transformation. He didn't want to think too much about what the girls looming over him would have done if he lost his clothes like every other lycanthrope he knew of.

"That was interesting." Was his comment as he stood and brushed himself off of dust.

"Are you kidding me?! That was amazing! You got all big and furry and doggy and eeehheheheheh!" Ruby was quick to get overly excited to the point that she lost coherence in her speech.

"Yeah! The way you jumped around and stuff, hehe. Maybe we could try to be werewolves Ren!" Nora exclaims as she hangs off the taller man's shoulders.

"No Nora. I doubt we'd be an as much control of ourselves in that form like he was. And I doubt anyone would be able to control you like that either." Ren explains in an almost deadpan way. The Nord took that as a possible yes as she grinned like the madwoman she is.

"So you're going to try the vampire side next?" Weiss asks nervously, as expected when dealing with such matters.

"Gimme some time to recover, that wolf eats up energy like Ruby in a candy shop." Denko sighs at the short girl as he stood there with his hands on his knees. A minute later he pulled some jerky from his pack and eats it ravenously before washing it down with plenty of water.

"So how was it really?" Yang squatted next to the elf as he ate.

Taking a few moments to think it over and a swig to clear his airway before answering. "It was different… Being so much bigger, stronger. I felt that I could smell everything, hear everything, that I could chase down any thing I set my focus on and tear it apart with my own hands. Even though I kept my mind I could feel the instinct to hunt, kill, and devour anything around me. Made me think that it requires a strong mind and will for others to keep their minds while harnessing the power of the beast. And that's a lot of power to control, so much base desire that needs guidance. It must be overwhelming for normal people who become lycanthropes."

"Wow. You figured all that out while you were changed?" The blonde comments with appreciation.

"Sort of. It's hard not to notice the will of the beast trying to take control." Denko fingers the amulet around his neck. "This thing seems to keep the beast inside on a leash from the start but its always there and capable of being easily released. I just hope that if that ever happens I can put the leash back on when it's over." He sighs.

"Guess that's why we're here, to help you put a muzzle on that dog." Yang grins at her fellow blonde. Blake quirked an eyebrow at the pair over the edge of her book. Since he had returned to normal without any lingering side-effects she had a book on hand to finish reading. While her usual blonde teammate and her sister were the ones to initiate most of the humor Yang had increased such habits since they joined up with Denko again. Most likely because he was willing and able to fire jokes, odd comments, puns, and backhanded compliments at his friends, much to the aggravation of Weiss and herself at times.

"Are you gonna try the blood-sucker next?" Nora had zipped over while Blake turned her page and had no problem asking that extremely close to his own face, complete with mimicking fangs with her fingers in her mouth.

The man laughed at her antics as he waved her off. "Gimme a few minutes Nora. Then we'll see what happens." The Nord let out a disappointed groan as she turned and walked over to a nearby torch-lit wall where she began inspecting her quiver of arrows, notably the explosive laden ones.

A few minutes passed with quiet small talk to break the silence before the Bosmer took his place in the center again signaling the next test was to begin. With a few nods of confirmation that they were ready Denko flipped the switch to the bat face and waited. The effects were subtle but noticeable as he found his sight in the dark became clearer, as well as a desire for a drink- he already expected that and was glad that it was easily manageable. He noted that his skin lost some color but nothing outside of normal tones, especially for those who tend to isolate themselves in libraries. The fangs in his mouth were interesting but nothing in comparison to those in his previous transformation. Other than that there was nothing notable which he found odd, obviously so did everyone else as they looked at him in confusion.

"How do you feel?" Ren was the first to ask, that surprised everyone that the normally quiet man was the first to break the silence at all.

The now vampire flexed his hands and arms. "A bit thirsty and I can see a little better in here but beyond that… meh." He shrugged at the last part.

Jaune laughed softly "Guess we were worried about nothing then, huh?"

"Maybe…" Denko was about to dismiss the Breton's fears when he felt something from deep within himself, something he couldn't recognize yet it spread through his body and filling it with strength he didn't have before. "Woah, that's different."

"Wait, what? Is something wrong now?" The Breton seemed on the verge of panicking as he watched his friend continue to test his limbs with renewed curiosity before walking around, much like he had done before but on two legs.

"It's odd, this power came from inside… I feel stronger all around." They watched him wander around the cavern, at one point grabbing a few rocks of various sizes and juggling them. He seemed to shift his perception a little in confusion before that cleared. "Gonna have to get used to that- I can make things seem to move slower to my eyes. Makes sense now how some of the vampires I've killed could avoid attacks they normally shouldn't have."

"Anything else?" Ruby seemed to be excited, but in a way that the main event was already long over.

"Hmmm… This power I feel in me…" He seemed to retreat into himself mentally as he walked back to the middle of the cave again. "It's like it's just under the surface… yet all through my body…" He was muttering to himself as he stood in the ring of his friends, flexing his fingers and occasionally readying a variety of spells.

"Moving through me… slow pulsing, steady…hmmm…" While none of the others understood what he was saying, either due to the general lack of context or unable to accurately understand his words yet they stood ready for anything.

"Blood… in the blood. It's blood magic, harnessed from within… likely empowered by taking from others. Just need to release it… and control it." His mutterings turned to normal speech levels before he lurched over, blood oozed out from all over his skin and covering him completely- armor and all. His features were concealed from all until all that could be seen was a vaguely humanoid form seemingly made of blood. Time seemed to stretch the actual seconds into minutes as the others hefted their weapons in preparation to be used.

The bloody form suddenly expanded as it stood, growing in height. The blood was rapidly reabsorbed while plenty was flung away as the arms swung to the sides, long talons gleaming in the dim light. A second pair of appendages spread from its back revealing themselves to be spindly looking wings that were obviously incapable of providing flight but the claws the wings possessed on their thumbs and forefingers showed that they were to be ignored at your own peril. The creatures' feet lifted off the ground, suspended by the red glow of a form of levitation magic. The gaunt face released a roar that rattled through the cave, its' grey skin stretched taut across its' wiry frame belying its' strength.

The creature floated in place as it huffed, sucking in air as if it was breathing for the first time. The armor was now gone, replaced by a lightly armored skirt and a thin piece of leather stretched across the chest held in place by a few straps the left the arms and wings freedom of movement. It wore nothing else as it hovered, slowly flexing it's claws. The wings twitched prompting the head to turn and look at them with interest, soon followed by experimentation moving them.

Seeing as there seemed to be little threat from the form that Denko took, the rest of the group relaxed with weapons at the ready as they watched in fascination. How often did one even hear of friendly vampires in Tamriel? Rarely outside of novels and occasionally in rumors with little merit to them.

"This is different." The gravely voice emerged from the vampire lords fang filled mouth. Denko looked around at his friends, while he could feel the bloodlust in the back of his mind where the base instincts resided and guided his new forms actions as he willed. As he floated in place he could feel the magic flowing through his body, willing the effect to end he dropped to the stone floor with bare clawed feet where he felt much of the feeling of magic fade. Floating brought the magic back into circulation. Summoning some of the power into his hands a blood red sphere appeared in his right hand, in his left he willed something different and a dark swirling mass of blues and purples grew, indicative of a conjuration spell.

"Very different. That still you in there?" Yang comments from the side, where one mace was returned to her belt yet that hand was curled with a small candle-like flame within ready to be fed fuel. Her affinity with fire made her the best to deal damage to any undead, present company included.

"It's me. Guess Molag Bal knows how to make his creatures well." Another flex of his wings seemed to accent his statement. "Glad I didn't have to go through his usual rituals to get this kind of power." He adds.

"Yes, I've read that some of the most of the most powerful vampires have used extremely potent magical rituals. Many of which require sacrifices to gain the Draedric Lords favor in order to be granted his 'gifts'." Ren says in his usual calm demeanor as if he's reading from a book.

"That's my Renny! He always seems to know everything!" Nora's voice echoed throughout the cavern. "Not that we're together-together…" Now she was embarrassed, something that only seemed to happen when the topic of her and Ren's close relationship came up.

Denko laughed, the sound was creepy with his new voice and form. The sound of Ruby's giggles in the background only made the situation that much more creepy in the dark cave. The vampire closed his eyes and seemed to relax as he dropped to the floor before his body seemed to turn into blood and recede into itself quickly revealing the original Bosmer vampire who then reached to his amulet and moved the switch on top to the center and the vampiric traits receded to his normal mortal form.

Denko looked himself over noting that his armor seemed untouched from the transformations and his body seemed normal again. The only other thing he could think of trying was combining the powers of the amulet with the effects of the Bender Ring. The reset of the group started packing their things up, not that they had much with them beyond their weapons and basics for a day out including medical supplies and potions.

"Well! That was a thing!" Yang's loud comment broke any tension that was within the cavern and was quickly followed by Denko, Nora, and Ruby laughing while Weiss shook her head muttering about immature people. Blake already had a book out and turned a page. Ren closed up the last pack and slung it over his shoulder before joining Weiss by the exit.

Later that night the entire team was back in Kvatch and had a decent meal before splitting up and wandering the city on their own or small groups. Ren and Nora were practically joined at the hip as they visited various shops. Ruby and Yang took a long look at the wares at the local smiths. Weiss managed to find the only establishment for mages. Blake disappeared into a bookshop and not likely to be seen until night. Jaune and Pyrrha found a bakery and spent some time sampling. Denko found himself by the same stone wall as the night before. Opening the hidden compartment he found a single sealed envelope with a handprint in the wax seal with no name on the front.

Taking the letter and hiding it within his clothes for later reading in privacy. On his way back to the inn he found the sisters proving their skills at the forge. From what he could see, the blacksmith was impressed with how quickly they worked yet their works were solid and thorough. Yang's strength and heat tolerance allowed her heat the metal to greater temperatures and hammer out the impurities and fold the metal at a faster pace than anyone else. Meanwhile Ruby was finishing the blades by putting on the guards and hilts followed by the sharpening and polishing. Apparently in the time it would normally take the man to craft a simple dagger they had made five swords. To make him feel even worse, each of their blades were better than what he could produce, though one of them was nearly sold before it left the grindstone.

Further down the street he saw Ren dragging Nora away from a candy shop. The Nord was pouting while a couple kids at the shop laughed. Slipping into his room Denko withdrew the letter and opened it.

 _Silencer, your request has been received but will require you to report to the Blackwood Sanctuary immediately to explain yourself to the Black Hand. A decision will be made at that time._

 _Listener Moriviira_

"This seems interesting." He mutters to himself. "Guess we could move to Bravil and I continue on my own. Go to the meeting, hope things go my way, meet them back in Bravil and see what needs to be done from there." With that he began to pull out his notes and plans to go over them nd work out more details.

 **Authors Notes:** Sorry about the long wait between chapters, life has been extremely busy and this is the first chapter that I did not already write down before. Not that I'm making this up as I go, not completely, the outline has been kept in my head since before chapter 2. Since my last posting I've had a car crash, bought a new car, massive landscaping project at my grandparents which has plenty to be done to finish, work has been mandating longer hours including weekends... and more... very exhausting. I've been playing plenty of ESO to relax and get more details for plans to further this fic, especially enjoyed exploring Elsweyr and those dragons are tougher than anything in Skyrim. Not to worry, large segments of the next chapter has already pretty well planned out with plenty of other chapters physically written down so they should come faster in coming weeks. I'm sorry for not having a fixed schedule for posting chapters but I do what I can to get this out of my head and out for your enjoyment.

As always please post reviews to help the story maintain being lore friendly and improve my own writing skills.


	5. Brothers and Sisters

Empire Rising

Brothers and Sisters

Jaune was angry. To be honest he was a man who was a stubbed toe from drawing his sword on the closest person. That was probably the reason that his closest friends were sticking close to his side and watching him carefully. The streets of Leyawiin were thankfully mostly empty as one stalked and three walked down the road, what few people roaming the road late this night wisely moved or stayed out of their way. The group reached their destination, a small house that served as their current base of operations before truly moving onto their real mission, this detour was understandable at first but now the result was one royally pissed off Breton.

Slamming the door open he found his target and crossed the room quickly and grabbed the Bosmer by his collar and slammed the smaller male against the wooden wall. The sequence of slams startled the four women from upstairs who rushed down to find the cause. The other three filed through the door, Ren taking the time to close the door before moving into positions ready to break up a fight if one broke out.

"Did you know she would be there?!" Jaune yells into the Bosmers face.

Denko was surprisingly collected since the initiation of the confrontation. "Who was there?"

"Who? One of my sisters was in that dungeon!"

"No, I didn't know that she was there. There wasn't even a name attached to the contract. You saw it yourself."

The two blondes stared at each other, one in anger, the other matched it with calm. Eventually the anger fizzled out and Jaune let Denko drop to the floor before taking a seat. The Bosmer was able to land softly and took a seat on a chair across from the man who was still seething.

"What happened? All the contract had said was that the one who performed the Sacrament was unable to be contacted until the contract was complete. Then they would be able to pay after that time." Denko asks and explains.

"We'll start from when we started." Pyrrha says.

"I'm really not sure about this." Jaune whines to Denko.

"You're a member of the Fighter's Guild, right?" The Bosmer asks. At the nod in reply he continued. "Then you should recognize that this contract is essentially the same as one you'd get from them. The only real difference is that the Brotherhood is more precise rather than a club swung at anything in front of them. Take out the target, get paid. Simple."

"But what about the whole murder thing?" Nora asks.

"Should I ask how many people any of you have killed in your lives?" He let that sink in for a moment. "Some kill for revenge, money, pleasure, rituals, or glory. Personally, I don't fall into any of them though the money is a perk but none of the others. I'm giving all of you a choice to do this, I laid out a few basic benefits to doing this. In short this is ultimately your choice but I was able to get these contracts and choose them to tailor them to your morals and abilities."

"So… there's a necromancer nearby that someone wants dead but didn't go to the guards or the Guild?" Weiss asks.

"Could be a family member who'd prefer to keep the matter quiet. Plus, they may not want to be particularly connected to them in any way for social status reasons. At the same time, it could be a victim that managed to escape and wanted to make sure that the necromancer didn't get away. The Brotherhood isn't one to give up on a job, once taken they will do everything possible to complete the contract."

"That… sounds plausible." Weiss responds to the explanation.

"You said you customized these contracts?" Blake spoke up from her place in a corner.

"Yeah, it was part of how I got my superiors to agree with anything. These contracts are usually reserved for fully fledged members with an emphasis on the more experienced assassins. I went through dozens that they had available to find ones that would be best for each of you. Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren have the same contract due to being a group effort being required except for the best assassins, like me for example."

"So I happen to have an Argonian that's trying to undermine a unity group?" The Khajiit deadpans.

"Is there something wrong with it? I could find another." Denko offers.

"N-No, this is fine."

"Anyone else have questions?" While the group looked uncomfortable with what was asked of them no one was forthcoming. "Alright, I'll leave it to you all to complete them as you see fit so long as the targets are taken care of. I'll explain more once you are done."

The Breton in front of her let out a last rattling breath before going limp over the battle axe embedded deep in his waist. The blood flowed quite freely in the dark dungeon that the man had built himself but few would have thought that the young noble was a rapist. The blood came from a well-placed swing between the legs with a very heavy and very sharp hunk of steel.

The axe was actually a decorative piece used to help show off his wealth beyond the secret hideaway he had just outside the walls of the small town, the nobles family ruled over the poor townsfolk like it was their own kingdom. Situated nearby Cheydinhal and at a crossroads between Bravil and Black Marsh, Drakeslowe was a small town that had managed to take advantage of Cheydenhal's damage during the Oblivion Crisis to grow. Nowhere large enough to really compete with the already established large city, but enough that they weren't ignored.

Now the 'Lords' son was dead, several years of leading young women he fancied into this glorified hole in the ground to do whatever he wanted to them, weather they wanted to or not. The rack in the corner and leather strips on the bed were evidence enough of that. Especially when he tried to get forceful, thinking he could overpower Yang Xiao Long like any other peasant girl before her. Said woman didn't even give the dead man a final glance as she marched out of the room into fresh air and took deep breath of cool night summer breeze.

As she marched away, she couldn't suppress a shudder at what she had to do, what she had done. But she had performed somewhat similar contracts for the Fighters Guild before. Another shudder passed through her, she had taken note of some of the potions that were stored there. The stamina potions were likely for the more willing participants, health restoratives were a little questionable if some liked things a bit rough or if it was to help hide the evidence of the rapes and tortures. The paralyzing potions really didn't need much more to be said.

Her job was done and she wanted to get back to Leyawiin so she could scrub off the creepy feelings she had from that man that followed her. Being back with her friends and sister would help. Maybe Denko would at least listen to her vent to get some of the thoughts out of her mind. Still she couldn't help but be glad that Ruby didn't have to go through this, with any luck and gods willing she would never have to experience anyone like that corpse behind her.

The Necromancer that Weiss had to find must have been far too confident in her own abilities, the cave she resided in practically was lined with bones and spider webs. Not far inside were the remains of several zombies, who or what they were originally was impossible to tell with how shriveled they were. The only way that could have made the cave more clear would be having a sign outside for advertising her 'services'.

Unfortunately these amusing thoughts were distracting enough that her boot crushed a bone against the stone floor, the snaps echoed through the cavern and alerting the Imperial just a few strides away. The woman was quick to react by throwing a skull at Weiss who easily dodged it, and not just because of the poor aim. But that was enough of a distraction for the woman to open a large cage next to her workstation.

What followed was likely the most ridiculous fight of Weiss' young life as dozens of reanimated birds flew out at her. Chickens, pheasants, ducks, doves, sparrows… what was wrong with this lady? It was impossible to fight normally within the confines of a tunnel, let alone with the number of small, fast opponents she had to deal with. Her sword slashes were lucky to hit one at a time as the swarmed, her preferred thrusts would be completely useless, it was difficult to focus most of her magic for any particular spells as those with wider areas of effects almost all needed time and concentration that she didn't have. But the white-haired Imperial had some advantages, the necromancer had to get past her to leave meaning she'd have to go through her own flock, and she had her sword.

A flick of the wrist turned the point of her blade towards the ground, slender fingers manipulated the unique guard before squeezing a small trigger as she thrust down. A trickle of frost salts ran along the runes carved into the blade, which glowed with magic from the wielder. The three blended together in a reaction that could be felt outside of the cavern easily as large spears of ice had flash frozen everything around the caster. Everything from the various birds in their unique stages of decay or autopsy, the stones and dust that were stirred up in the scuffle, and the necromancer herself along with half of the cage and the desk were covered in ice.

The only living being left in the cave let out a self-satisfied grunt and a nod at her handiwork before exiting the place. Looking back at the bodies that were far away from the battle pity rose up within the young woman. That pity took the form of flames racing down her blade and igniting the bodies, flames that would eventually turn them to ash while leaving the woman who killed them frozen out of sight of the world.

I quick glance at her robes showed Weiss that while the woman herself had been of little issue the birds she had sent to fight in her place did their damage. A few small tears and scratches from claws, beaks, and bones was the extent of the actual damage. However, corpses aren't known for being clean and so the armored robes and her hair at least would need a thorough cleaning to remove the stains of blood, dirt, feathers, and other things she didn't wish to think about.

Ruby wasn't really sure about doing this. She knew from experience that sometimes research can be a cutthroat business venture into history or magic, even into weapon and armor development when it came to making a name for oneself. She and her friends had actually been attacked once by a researcher into Dwemer technology, someone who had claimed her as a rival despite Ruby not even knowing who the woman was. Pointing that out only made the woman even madder which lead to her attacking with her hired muscle and mages. The battle that ensued was fairly brief and ended with the woman's help either dead or too injured to fight. The woman was a powerful mage but teleported away after nearly losing an arm to Ruby's prototype scythe.

Now that woman was back and tried to steal the hard earned research of another scholar who apparently had enough of the thieves attempts, three tried and failed, one experiment ruined, several artifacts lost, damaged beyond repair, or stolen outright, and two assistants dead with seven others quitting their associations with him for fear of their lives. The Black Sacrament was performed to remove this blight to the research community and provided a poison to do the job. An unknown poison beyond the assurance that it would get the job done with a single drop.

Rema Romulus was inside the Aylied ruin of Bawn behind a makeshift desk of barrels and wooden planks covered with stacks of papers, a few scrolls, and a variety of different stones. Currently she was busy yelling at her men for not finding anything of true value. Ruby had hidden herself in a dark corner and behind a wall of the white stone that the Wild Elves were so fond of using in their construction. She couldn't stop herself from making hand gestures making fun of the woman's ranting. Of course the ruin was going to have been picked clean of valuables over the thousands of years since Bawn was abandoned by warring parties, bandits, and other researchers. Normal archeologists going through these ruins would expect such conditions and take that into account when doing their studies, most these days study how the ruins have held up over the centuries with and without magical assistance from both before and after the Aylied rule.

Rema finally dismissed her "help" for the night and went to studying her current notes, drinking some wine as she did so. Obviously she didn't have much in the bottle presently on her desk and after pouring most of it into her cup and sucking on the glass to get it all she left to get some more. "Can't get any decent help around here. Used to have a little Bosmer girl to pour me my drinks!" She mutters as she walked over to some crates to fetch a new bottle.

While Rema was occupied Ruby slipped from her hiding place and ran up to the desk, making sure to stick to the shadows and moving as quietly as possible. A glance confirmed that her target was still busy, examining the labels of two bottles by the light of a small fire. The young girl slipped the small flask of poison from a pouch on her belt, unscrewed the top, and held it over the research thieves cup. Hesitation kept her from applying the poison until she noticed her name on one of the pages. A moment of quick reading revealed that Rema was paying people to keep tabs on certain researchers, complete with their past and current projects, locations, security- if any, and combat danger.

She was targeting her and her friends! The notes said that her location was unknown as of a week ago but knew she was in Kvatch and traveled east. A flash of anger removed her hesitation so her wrist turned, spilling a few drops into the cup of wine. At that moment Rema loudly proclaimed her choice wine and walked back to her desk, oblivious to the red cloaked girl concealed behind a nearby crate. Rema was quick to knock back her current cup and refill it again before turning back to her work.

"Hmmm… I really need to find that Rose girl, the notes that she had turned over to the Guild can't have been everything that she learned from Dwemer engineering, not with what I saw last time we met." Rema spoke to herself, subconsciously covering the scar on her left arm just below the elbow. "Maybe her sister would be of some use if she's always helping her… her name is on nearly all of Rose's papers. Or should I try going after Jerum Liel? The lizard had put in a request for additional funds to poke around an Aylied ruin that had sunk just over the border in Blackmarsh."

Moving a stack of papers as she looked for a particular form, she began to feel a little uncomfortable, maybe something didn't agree with her at dinner? She never thought that she'd have a meal of frogs before but found them surprisingly tasty. She found the document she was looking for, a perfect copy of an expedition permission already 'signed' by a chapter leader. "I'll attach myself to the Argonians group while my sources find Rose. Once they track her down I'll appropriate Liel's findings and pay a visit to a little girl with some mercenaries." She began to feel warm, maybe it was the wine?

"Ten swordsmen weren't enough last time and those three mages were next to useless. I'll have to double the numbers and be sure to- cough- test their skills before I pay a single- cough- septim." Either she was getting a cold from being underground for so long in this musty air or it was something in those frogs. She rose from her seat and began moving towards a trunk nearby, her steps were unsteady and only seemed to get worse by the time she arrived. Ruby could hear the sound of glass vials clinking against eachother along with shuffling paper and other things. She refused to move or peek around in case she might be seen by exposing herself in such a way.

"There it is!" Rema announced as she withdrew a cure disease potion and downed it in a single gulp before moving for the desk. A few steps were taken when the Imperial collapsed with a small cry of confusion. Her breaths became labored as she broke out in perfuse sweating, her pulse quickened to higher rates than she could ever remember, vision began to blur and grow dark, her limbs felt heavy and hands grew numb. The last thing she saw as her vision went black was the image of an arm covered in daedric armor reaching towards her chest, it clenched something and everything was lost.

Ruby sat behind the crate for a few minutes even after she heard the final shaking breath from the woman on the other side. She worked up the nerve to peek around and saw the blank eyes staring at nothing, Rema Romulus was dead. Now that she didn't have to worry about being spotted, she took a better look at the documents on the desk, finding the results of more than a dozen researchers besides herself, she was quick to make a decision. She rounded up everything she could carry, which made the nearby trunk convenient to hold everything and a satchel for the small number of valuables that were available and took everything with her out of the ruin.

The next time the hired goons would approach their boss they would find her body on the floor and her coin purse on the desk. Needless to say they weren't upset that their client was gone as they did get a final payment, even if it was a bit less than contracted but relief was compensation enough.

Ruby made a stop in Bravil to the local Guild branch and turned over the documents. While the Dunmer in charge didn't like the fact that Ruby was leaving obvious holes in her story, she was grateful that the research was being turned over to be properly cataloged and protected and those who had their research stolen notified.

Blake had seen her fair share of corruption, personally dealt with operations of sabotage and vandalism and such before leaving that behind when she saw what it was doing to her. Still it left its mark as she was the most paranoid and cynical of her group of friends. But what she saw made her sick as it brought back old memories and grated on her morals. She had spent the past few hours following her target watching for the most opportune time to strike. That and to satisfy her own mind that she was about to do the right thing.

Here she was at the docks of a little settlement that had been given no name as of yet but was run by the East Empire Trading Company, at least a branch that had taken to fishing and furring in this region of the Topal Bay to expand their services. Nearly all of the dock workers were either Khajiit or Argonians with a few Orcs for heavy lifting. Humans- Imperials or Bretons, had foreman positions and a weren't particularly quiet when referring to the workers as little better than the animals they hunted. Some carried whips for added incentive for the 'Beastfolk' to work faster, generally cracking them for emphasis yet didn't bat an eye if they hit someone.

She'd witnessed a group of dockworkers of nearly fifty gather together to air their grievances to their apparent representative, a tall and strong looking Khajiiti woman by the name of Narimi, who had promised that she'd take her list to the facilities boss in the morning and attempt to negotiate better conditions for their work. The Argonian that Blake was tailing had stayed quiet against a wall during the meeting but as soon as it ended slipped out the door and rather than go to the meager lodgings of the employees he went towards the docks.

It wasn't unusual for many Argonians to have a swim or quick soak before turning in for the night when the opportunity was available so few would question him out here at this time. Still he walked to the far end of the docks to a small building that served as an office of sorts for that end of the dock and possibly be upgraded if this particular port would receive the funding to expand even further. Blake peeked through an open window where she found her target handing over a list of what the workers are planning, the Argonian's handwriting was large enough that she could read it from her position.

"Good work Jeem-La. This will do nicely to keep our operations going smoothly." An overweight Nord man chuckles from behind his desk that was covered in stacks of papers, ledgers, and bottles of wine.

"And my pay?" Jeem-La asks as he holds a hand out.

"Ah yes, yes. Here you go. Plenty more where this came from so long as you keep up the good work." A bag clanking with gold coins was tossed into the waiting hand. While the Argonian couldn't really smile as the other races could, he did the Argonian equivalent with his eyes.

"Pleasure doing business with you." The lizard man was about to leave when he stopped at the door. "You know, I wouldn't mind a little easier job during the day as a little incentive to keep this up."

"Really now? I'll take that into consideration in the morning. But I don't think that it would be too hard to arrange."

"Thanks, boss. See you tomorrow." The Argonian left the building, never noticing the khajiit in the shadows as he made his way to the dock.

Blake followed him to the edge, the clouds obscuring the moons made it almost child's play to tail him, any noise she made was easily covered by the waves and wind. They were alone with the only known person around being the increasingly drunk Nord in the shack. What Blake had seen the Argonian do was wrong on so many levels to her that what came next actually was relatively easy for her. The moment that Jeem-La stopped near the edge of the planks she rushed forward, drew her sword and slashed his back in a single motion.

But she had misjudged and the lizard's thick back scales were strong enough to prevent her blade from making a fatal strike. He hissed in pain as his tail instinctually swept behind at his attacker, smacking Blake in the hip and sending her to the ground. Her target took the opportunity to do as his race was known for, he dove into the water to escape the clear danger, possibly to counterattack. Blake rose to her feet quickly enough, cursing her mistake of letting him be near the water as he was likely to get away and she'd fail her mission.

Jeem-La burst from the water in a powerful lunge in an arc that took him clear over the entirety of the dock and back into the water. The cat had managed to evade the lizard's claws as he had passed. Maybe she wouldn't fail if he was that willing to fight. Still she had to stay away from the edge to avoid the possibility of being pushed into the water. While she'd enjoy a speed advantage on land, she'd lose everything in the water, except maybe her night vision if she could see at all underwater.

He burst up from the bay from a different position with the intent of taking her with him into the ocean. This time Blake was ready and her blade cut into the far smaller and softer scales across his chest and stomach. Blood splattered across the planks and her armor as he flew by and splashed into the Topal Bay. Blake watched the water, her ears swiveled around for the slightest hint of the Argonian's position. The clouds parted for a moment, shedding light on the water just as Jeem-La tried to burst from the ocean as he did before.

Tried being the key word at the moment as Blake saw him struggling and thrashing, the frothing water wasn't the expected white but turned red. She didn't need to wait long to see why, the cuts she made had attracted a swarm of slaughterfish which were now tearing apart the Argonian. Blake couldn't stand to watch, she knew that her attacks combined had the possibility of being fatal without being treated but being attacked by the aptly named fish, his death was guaranteed without a miracle. Should any of the dock workers find his remains they would chalk it up as an unfortunate accident, a risk that they all faced in their line of work.

She left the fish to their meal as she practically melted into the shadows, the khajiit had no intention of returning. A sack of gold coins lay on the wood by the waters edge with a few drops of blood splattered on it to be found in the morning by an unassuming worker. Shortly later a half-eaten body would be found under the dock.

Volcanus Manor was a large estate nearby a small settlement that went by Cropsford. The Volcanus family ruled over the town, while the town itself did well considering that it rose from the ashes after the Great War. That's not to say that it didn't have its own share of problems, rumors of mysterious people going to the lords estate yet few ever leaving. Once in a while someone from town would disappear and despite an investigation from the local guards nothing would ever turn up.

Jaune looked at the gate from his position near a side door to the manor. He was waiting for Nora to take on the guards, he didn't doubt the strength of the short Nord and he abilities in combat- it was an area of life that she exceled and enjoyed. It didn't stop him from worrying about his friend. One of the targets that they had to eliminate was the lead guard, a man known for his ruthlessness and desire for a fight so he'd have an excuse to kill. Nora's job was to attack the front gate and become a distraction for the rest of the team where all of the guards- hired mercenaries really- would be focused on the gate. Nora had the lungpower to get their attention if her massive hammer didn't. Her true target wouldn't likely pass up the chance to face her himself and hopefully she'd take him out.

Ren had already picked the lock and waited to open the door for the signal. Pyrrha was at his side with her shield raised and ready. Soon enough they could see Nora strutting up to the guards at the gate. "Let me see your boss or I'm gonna start breaking legs." She threatens, lifting her hammer off her back to accent her point.

"She's really getting into this, isn't she?" Pyrrha asks quietly as she watched over Jaunes shoulder.

"She does get overly excited easily." Ren points out.

"No kidding." The blonde adds as Nora smacks one of the guards with a casual swing of her hammer sending the poor sap flying into some nearby bushes, with a single hand. Needless to say, the guard still standing began yelling for backup. From their position at the door they could hear the boots of more that a dozen pairs of feet moving through the building to the front door. As the guards rushed out the door Nora smacked the other hapless man over the gate and towards his fellows while cackling loudly and challenging their boss.

That was where they left her as they entered the manor. Ren left his friends immediately for the upper floors in search of his target, the Lord Volcanus himself. Which left Jaune and Pyrrha to find their way to a basement, once they found the door, they heard a large man walking out the front door. While it was open, they could hear the cries of pain and Nora's giggles and the man shouting at her.

"Ya wanted the boss of these louts? Well here I am! I'm gonna skewer you small fry!" The large Nordic man shouts as he readies his greatsword.

Pyrrha led the way to the nearest door and opened it, only to find a closet. The next door was an empty washroom. Bunkroom for the mercenaries. Pantry. Kitchen. Closet. Closet. Trophy room. Library. Closet. "How many closets do they need?" Jaune was able to keep his groaning quiet, Pyrrha was clearly frustrated as well as she yanked open the next door, nearly tearing it off its hinges as she vented a little. Despite the cathartic action she was quick to realize her mistake and winced but that turned to a sigh of relief when she saw that inside were a set of stairs leading down.

Jaune led the way down this time, keeping his shield ready just in case. The basement was large and full of racks with barrels of stored food, kegs of various drinks, filled wine racks, sacks of grains, crates of unknown items. Overall not unusual for a manor. Just as they relaxed as there was no one here there was a scream, faint but clear enough that it wasn't hard to tell that it didn't come from the front gate. Besides, if Nora was in trouble Ren would be nearby to bail her out.

Another scream drifted through the basement again, coming from a far wall. Quickly and quietly walking over to some large shelves, the pair were confused as to where to go from here when another scream rang out only to be abruptly cut off. They scrambled to look for an entrance that was likely concealed nearby as they feared for the worst about the owner of the voice they heard. Jaune noticed some scratches on the ground and a small pile of dirt at the end of the arc of scratches. Following them to the shelf he soon found a small catch that once he flipped it the shelves moved. Pyrrha helped him pull the hidden door open to reveal a tunnel.

"This has to be it. Let's go." The Breton mutters before leading his Altmer friend down the path. He almost wished he hadn't when it opened up to a large chamber with several cages filled with a couple people, mostly women. On the other side was a large alter flanked with braziers. Standing by the stone alter were two hooded figures, each of them holding bloody knives over a young man who's entire torso had been carved open. Nearby were three cloaked people, their hoods masking who they were while armor could be seen from under the cloaks.

"This can't be good." Pyrrha whispers as she takes in the horrifying sight over Jaune's shoulder when she felt him tense.

"Verde. How did they get Verde?" He was in disbelief and starting to tremble.

The people behind the alter had apparently finished whatever they were doing when they had one of the armored guards dragged the body into a corner to be dropped onto the body of a goat. "Lord Dagon needs another sacrifice today. A woman this time. Hmmm… perhaps the one in green? I'm sure our Lord would love such a fine thing." The taller of the two knife wielders says, another of their guards moving towards the cells holding the young woman in question.

The young Breton couldn't hold back anymore and rushed the man at the cell with a yell. The cloaked man barely had time to turn before Jaune was on him shield raised as it bashed him in the face. A staggered step backwards was interrupted by his attackers sword piercing his guts, shortly followed by a slash to the chest.

Pyrrha acted quickly to her friends actions, summoning an Aedric Spear and launched it at the cultists, spearing the speaker in the shoulder and pinning the man to the wall. The woman at the alter readied her knife and a flame spell in the other while the guards drew maces. The Altmer was quick to capitalized on their surprise and shield rushed the nearest guard and bashed him back into the bloody alter. She didn't have time to breath as she was forced to dive out of the way of a gout of flame. The roll took her to the last guard and the tall woman moved to keep the man between the spellcaster and herself. Apparently there was little comradery between them as the man was blasted with a fireball, launching the burning man at the Altmer who used her shield to catch him and redirect his path to the side.

The Breton went after the warrior who was recovering from being thrown into the stone slab that made up the alter. The hooded man was barely able to raise his mace to block the first strike, the second led to a failed deflection that left a slice in the man's shoulder. A third cut into the weapon arm forcing a disarmament. A fourth found his neck and ended their skirmish.

Unfortunately, his proximity caught the cult leaders attention and a fireball was taken in the shield, the blast knocking the man onto his back. Still that was enough of a distraction for Pyrrha to close the distance with another spear at the ready and stab the woman four times in quick succession. The combination was ended by a kick that smashed the dying woman into a brazier, knocking it over onto herself and lighting her up. Thankfully her death was quick, the fighters didn't want to hear her scream as she burned, those in the cages… didn't share the same opinion.

"Jaune? Is that you?" One of the girls in the cages asks as she approaches the bars.

"Verde? Hang on, I'm coming!" Jaune searched the first man he killed for a minute before pulling out a set of keys. Pyrrha busied herself checking the other bodies for anything to let them know exactly what was going on beyond Daedra worship and human sacrifice. The moment the Breton man opened the door he was bowled over by the younger woman who was already crying her eyes out.

"H-hey! It's gonna be okay Verde. It'll be okay." Jaune assures the younger girl even as he lay on the ground as he hugged her. Pyrrha looked at the scene and smiled before she remembered the other prisoners and guided them out.

"Jaune let's go. We have to get these people out of here. There's another tunnel out this way, it's how they were brought down here." The Altmer insisted as the freed people moved down the indicated path. The Bretons looked at each other briefly before getting up and following.

Outside they emerged from a trapdoor hidden behind a cluster of boulders close to a road. A quick look around revealed that they were within sight of the manor they had escaped from. Down the road Pyrrha could see her friends loitering by the front gate, though at this distance she couldn't see anyone else. She turned to the former captives, "Here, take this to the nearest guards. This should get them to raid the manor and take care of the rest." She explains as she passed a scroll with a few blood splatters on it to an Imperial man.

"A few septims to help you all get home." Jaune passes a couple coins to each of them. Verde was slipped a few more coins but either no one noticed or cared. Once that was done the group left for town except Jaune held Verde back.

"Verde, how did this happen? I thought you were at home helping to run the inn?" The tall man asks. The girl hesitated before answering.

"Dad sent me down here to visit a friend of his. In Cheydinhal actually. I was almost there, it was getting late when someone grabbed me. Next thing I knew I was being dragged and thrown in that cage with the others. Wait! What day is it?"

"Um, its Tirdas of Mid Year. Why?" He responds.

"Oh, so I was only down there a day." Verde sighed in relief before shivering in fear. "Oh gods! If you didn't show up when you did I'd be dead by now!" She squeezed her brother again as fresh tears flowed again.

"It'll be alright Verde. Their gone now." He assures her as he returned the hug.

"What will you do now?"

Pyrrha spoke up. "We'll have to report in that the job was done and collect our friends. We're just glad that we saved who we could and punished those responsible."

Jaune looked conflicted but had to agree. "Alright, we'll walk with you back to the manor where our friends are waiting."

"Okay. I'll be careful from now on. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to grab a spot with a caravan going back to High Rock."

"It's about time you came back to us!" Nora was quick to shout once the trio were close enough to clearly heard her speaking at a normal volume.

"Sorry, we had no way to know that there was an escape tunnel or where it would lead to." Pyrrha was fast to apologize, as always.

"That and my sister was in there. Had to make sure she was safe, you know- priorities." Jaune laughs dryly.

"Hello." The Breton girl greets.

"Anything here to help keep her a little safer until she gets home?" The blonde male asks as he ignores Nora gushing over the sister and asking rapid-fire questions that were largely unintelligible. Ren was soon holding a small dagger that was both finely detailed while also simple in form yet perfectly functional. "Ah, that'll do."

"Thanks, all of you for what you've done for us. I won't forget it." Verde bows to the four of them. Then the Breton smirks a little. "Oh, and Jaune? Dad's armor looks pretty good on you. I'll let him know you've been keeping Crocea Mors in good condition as well." With that last jab at her brother she ran down the road to catch up to the other victims, who weren't exactly moving too fast to start with.

The peace didn't last long when Nora spoke up. "Kinda weird that we got a mission that wound up rescuing your sister from a crazy cult?"

"Hmm… I see your point." Denko says with an unreadable face.

"So what happens now? You said you'd get someone to negotiate a payment for the job, right? How does that work?" Jaune asks.

"Most often one of the Speakers would visit the contact and work out the contract in advance. This time services were rendered before any true contract could be made. It's not unheard of but not normal. Likely they will have to track down the people you freed and get some form of payment out of them." Denko explains.

"But my family doesn't have too much money to spare, we have an Inn to run and that takes a lot to maintain, not to mention a large family."

"An Inn? Would it be possible that a deal be made that anyone with the Brotherhood could stay there at cost?"

"At cost? Maybe. Verde will probably be able twist dad's arm if she knew. Wait! You're not going to tell my family about this are you?" Jaune was freaking out.

"No we don't out our members. By the way, congratulations to all of you for joining our disfunctional little family. I'll go over the rules in a bit." Denko smiles wryly, an expression that was echoed by most in the room. "More than likely whoever is sent to finalize the completed contract will refuse to give any names but will drop enough information to get the point across. It'll likely end up requiring a certain passphrase to be given to your sister and the length of that deal will depend on your sister and the Speaker coming to agreement."

"That, that sounds reasonable." The Breton sighs in relief.

"What if someone doesn't pay?" Weiss asks quietly.

It was the Bosmers turn to sigh as this wasn't a question he liked to answer. "First there will be a letter delivered as a reminder. If they haven't delivered on the payment, whatever was agreed upon for the contract, a personal visit will be made that will likely include a nonlethal attack to get the point across. If they still hold out, depending on who gives the orders, either the contractor or someone close to them that they value highly will be killed. That normally get's things done but it's extremely rare for anyone to try to hold out against the Brotherhood."

"I see." The white-haired girl was quiet as she thought about it, wondering about how many times her father might have employed the group she had just joined.

"You said there are rules? Let's hear them. Don't wanna break a rule before I even know what it is." Yang jumps in to move the conversation along.

"Alright, alright. Settle down everyone. Now that you have all proven yourselves, above and beyond the standards that the Brotherhood sets for new members. That being said there are ranks and rules that are to be followed. I'll start with the rankings.

At the top of everything is Sithis, then the Night Mother. The Night Mother speaks only to the Listener. The Listener issues her orders to the four Speakers. The Listener and Speakers make up the Black Hand. Each of the Black Hand has a personal assistant called a Silencer. I am one of the Silencers. Below them are the Executioners, Assassin, Eliminator, Slayer, and Murderer. There are also those in charge of the Sanctuaries, usually a Matron.

Everyone is considered family, your race, your past, vampirism, lycanthropy, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you do your job and follow the Five Tenets." Denko pauses to take a deep breath and let the information sink in.

"Five Tenets?" Blake asks. Everyone else was sitting with rapt attention.

"The Five Tenets are to be followed at all times, though there are certain exceptions on occasion." Denko answers. "The First Tenet is to never dishonor the Night Mother. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis. Tenet two, never betray the Dark Brotherhood or its secrets. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis. Tenet three, never disobey or refuse to carry out an order from a Dark Brotherhood superior. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis. Tenet four, never steal the possessions of a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis. And Tenet five, never kill a Dark Brother or Dark Sister. To do so is to invoke the Wrath of Sithis."

"This… Wrath of Sithis… what is that?" Ruby hesitated to ask.

"It's no problem to ask questions Ruby, especially with me. But the Wrath of Sithis… A specter will follow you until your death, either from the specter attacking the offender whenever they try to sleep. The only way to gain sleep is to defeat the specter for the night but they will be back the next day. The only time that won't happen will be if another assassin has been sent to kill the betrayer and when they fight the specter will make the final blow to take the offenders soul straight to Sithis." At those words nearly all visibly shivered.

"Those are the rules that they've followed?" Ren asks.

"For centuries its kept order within a guild of trained killers."

"Are there anymore rules that need to be followed?" Jaune speaks up for the first time since telling what happened during his teams mission.

"There are a few things you should know. To get all of this set up to keep you guys safe I had to do some negotiation with the Black Hand. Part of insisting you guys join the Brotherhood was to help make sure that you don't end up on the wrong side of a contract. But they liked the fact that we had an opportunity to grow our membership so much in a single moment. However, since we have our own mission you will not be carrying out standard operations.

Effectively we will not have a Sanctuary of our own, I am in charge of you all as far as the Brotherhood is considered. We will not have any contracts sent our way unless we specifically ask for one at a Sanctuary or from the Black Hand directly. That being the case, it's unlikely we'll take on any contracts so long as we're doing this main job for the Aedra and Daedra."

"So we're on our own yet still affiliated." Pyrrha sums things up.

"Pretty much, yeah." The Bosmer agrees.

"But nothing for us really changes?" Yang seemed almost pleading.

"That's putting it simply, you just have a few more secrets to hold onto, an extended family of misfits, and the knowledge that you're not as likely to get assassinated." Assures Denko.

"Not as likely?" Blake was skeptical at the phrasing.

"As warriors doing all sorts of jobs, going all sorts of places, assassination for any reason is always a possibility. It's just that now that you all have joined the Brotherhood you've closed a large door of options for that to happen. Still won't stop the crazies and desperate that aren't with us but at least you won't have to worry as much."

"I never really thought about it that much. I always just focused on my work." Ruby was quiet.

"Don't lose any sleep over it. I know I haven't." The Bosmer was dismissive with his comment. Still it did as it was intended with alleviating the worries of the group.

"Where are we going from here?" Weiss was curious about the situation.

"I was planning on taking us up to Bruma before we cross into Skyrim. From there we go across the province to Markarth before climbing into the Wrothgarian Mountains. Then we try finding the Orcs that Malacath wants us to and help them with their problem."

"That's not exactly what I was thinking of but I think that settles things." The white-haired girl responds.

Ren emerges from the kitchen, no one had even taken notice that he left. "Dinner is ready."

Denko jumped to his feet in surprise. "Crap I forgot about that!" He yells as he runs out to check the food.

"It's fine. It just needs to be served." Ren replies as he follows the shorter man. Everyone else looked around at each other in confusion at the sudden turn. On an unseen cue they all scrambled to get to the food first.


	6. The Joys of Travel

Empire Rising

The Joys of Travel

There were more than a few repetitions of explanations of Dark Brotherhood policies, mostly due to everyone coming to the Bosmer at different times and almost always alone. None but Blake had taken the offer for the armor that the guild provided it's members, even then she had modified it- with permission of course. While the leather armor was relatively unchanged, she had died the red parts to a nightshade purple and had replaced the black hand symbol with her own emblem. She had found that it was lighter and tougher than her old leathers while not hindering movement at all, as it was intended. She definitely appreciated the boots were nearly silent on any solid surface.

Denko had sent a letter to his superior with the suggestions for negotiating the contract, with Jaune's insight and approval on the terms to be used. The Breton was still uncomfortable with the situation but the other blonde assured him that the little vampire was an excellent negotiator with over three hundred years of practice. Still they soon began their travels north to the Jerall Mountains.

"Are we there yet?" Ruby yells over the howling winds.

Somehow Weiss' answer was colder than the mountain wind. "No." By her count that was the seventh time her friend had asked the same stupid question.

While they were crossing the mountains through the Pale Pass after a supply check in Bruma, summer in these high mountains only truly meant that there was less snow. Less being the key word as if it were winter now, they'd be buried under the frozen water, now they could see the rocks that lined the road they were walking on while snow sat in small piles alongside them. The winds were strong enough that it took effort to push against it and thankfully it wasn't snowing, or worse raining. Still they had some time until they reached the summit where there were a few shelters dug into dug into the mountainside for travelers to escape the weather and wanting a dry place to rest.

Surprisingly Weiss handled the cold better than anyone else in their little group, even putting the Nord to shame with her cold resistance. Yang was the complete opposite- she could handle fire being thrown at her and fiery explosions without much effect but drop the temperature to freezing and you had a woman desperate for heat. They were all bundled in extra clothes and furs but the blonde looked more like a bear walking upright. Ever the blabbermouth, Nora had commented that Yang had tripled her weight and promptly received a pop to the head from the small bear. That was before she threw on another layer of furs.

Shortly after noon the nine of them reached the peak of the path and admired the view on both sides. Amazingly both sides had a clear view of the lands below. To the south was Cyrodil, Ruby could see the White-Gold Tower through the scope of her overly complicated weapon. To the north was Skyrim where the vast expanse of forests that stretched across the Rift. Despite the scenes that so few ever got to see they rushed into one of the shelters to rest.

A small fire warmed their hands and drinks, food was little more than dried meats and fruits that some of them warmed by fire before consuming. The heavy furs by the entrance kept the worst of the weather at bay but aside from removing their gloves to handle their lunch and quick relief at the back of the cavern, no one removed anything else so wouldn't lose what warmth they had.

Now that they were rested, fire extinguished, and packs and weapons strapped to their persons, they begn the long but thankfully downhill trek. Despite the wind working against them, good time was made descending into warmer weather. At the foot of the mountain Denko and Ren checked the map as they all shed most of the furs and stored them in and on their packs. The trip across Skyrim would be easier if they sold the furs in the next city, Riften, but Weiss pointed out that they would soon be heading into mountains again.

Unfortunately, they were far from Riften and it was growing dark when they came across an empty hunting shack. While it was unoccupied there was a decent supply of chopped wood for the firepit and some furs spread over hay that served as beds. Blake led Denko and Ruby to hunt down some food. Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Yang left for a quick patrol for bandits and other undesirables leaving the rest to make the shack as comfy as possible for them to spend the night. Sleeping arrangements would be tight but doable. Conversation that night was light due to crossing the pass leaving them all fairly exhausted but the venison stew with vegetables filled their bellies. In the morning they would make their way to Riften.

Traveling in the summer of Skyrim was quite pleasant, hardly what anyone would could consider hot but comfortably warm, especially in the Rift and Falkreath Holds. Upon a relatively uneventful march to the Hold capital, to Denko's relief Karliah had pulled through and had a pair of carriages ready with horses hitched when they arrived, complete with passes for each of them to pass through the province with little issue. The reason for the passes was due to the cold war between the Empire and Stormcloaks that had persisted since before the Dragon Crisis. The same mysterious Dragonborn that had ended the crisis had managed to bring the civil war to a low simmer.

While there were the occasional fistfights due to heated discussions, there was little in the way of open hostilities between the factions. Ulfric Stormcloak was getting quite old, hardly what anyone would consider a threat by himself he had mellowed out a bit over the years, seeing as with less attention given to the war and more for his hold the slums in Windhelm have improved in their conditions and trade was allowed with the Empire. Many consider the last part was due to old sympathies for those he had fought for and with in the past, a warriors pride and honor to others.

Despite the civil war for Skyrim never truly ending, the Stormcloaks held control over The Pale, Eastmarch, Winterhold, and Markarth. Whiterun Hold maintained its neutrality by being the center of trade and due to it's central location nearly any travel requires passing through its hold. This had made Whiterun an excellent meeting point for diplomats of both factions to negotiate with the Jarl acting as a third-party mediator. The Thalmor still held their embassy near Solitude but many of their actions within the province have been muted. Rumors had it that they were having internal problems, partially due to the slow repopulation of their armies likely to force them to rely on the Khajiit far more heavily as frontline soldiers. There were also squabbles between those with a desire to subjugate all other races and those who'd rather maintain the territory they had gained in the war and wait the tensions out. Nobody who heard the rumors knew if they were true or if true which side had the advantage but they did know which option they preferred.

The roads of Skyrim were never what any wagon driver would call smooth, as you could actually find smoother runs on the unpaved roads with the trade off being that they were far more likely to wash out or be so muddy your wheels would get stuck. That didn't stop the group of nine from loading their gear onto the two wagons and beginning their journey through the vibrant forests of the Rift.

Two days later they had spent the night at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. The inn was run by an elderly woman by the name of Ysolda. Denko's connection to the Thieves Guild managed to get them rooms at a reduced price for the lot of them while the horses were taken care of at the stables.

"I'm tired of these wagons!" Nora cries out around midday from her place in the drivers' seat. They'd been rotating drivers in both wagons after meals which also gave the horses a break.

"We are heading straight to Markarth and the only real settlement between there and Whiterun is a little farm village called Rorikstead." Jaune answers easily as he lounged in the back next to Pyrrha. The two of them were studying the map to make sure Nora hadn't led them down the wrong road, again. Last time they had let her lead the way without checking her progress they had to fight off two groups of bandits, a small cult of necromancers, and five trolls… on the same road… in one day. Needless to say they were wary of their short friend and her ideas of fun and adventure.

Yang was driving the wagon in front of them which served another purpose beyond and easy guide, preventing Nora from trying to race ahead as she often claimed that the trip was taking too long. Yang was content to humor the Nord by speeding up a little despite her please to go faster.

The extra speed proved useful when a massive thunderstorm barreled over the southern mountains, catching them in the open plains but they were able to convince the Imperial garrison at Fort Sungard to let them take shelter. The mass of furs had kept their gear dry from rain until they had a roof over their heads while the horses enjoyed fresh hay, apples, and carrots in the stable.

While the Legionairs did provide shelter for the nine of them until the storm passed, they were only given an empty storeroom to use to keep their gear dry. A simple meal of bread and stew was given for dinner but that was the extent of their hospitality. Supposedly there were no spare cots so they were left to use the furs that were dried by the fire and their bedrolls. This was an Imperial fort but that did not stop a few of them from taking turns to keep watch just in case.

The next morning found the storm still going strong and so travel plans were delayed again. The Centurion in charge made them clean to earn their food, honestly it was better than dipping into their own supplies and going stir crazy from nothing to do. Nora and Ruby were bad enough normally.

Ruby was delighted to help with the forge and had dragged Yang and Denko with her to repair and maintain the weapons and armor. Jaune and Ren were recruited by the cooks once they heard Nora babbling about how good they were. Which left Weiss, Pyrrha, Blake, and Nora to sweep the hallways and wash clothes, all of them were glad that the soldiers were responsible for their own small clothes.

As much as the Legion had complained about letting them stay to wait out the rain, they were singing their praises that night for their good work, better than the standards they were used to. The cooks and smiths tried to bribe their helpers to stay. This had the unintended consequence of encouraging them all to leave that much faster.

"Gotta say it Yang, never seen anyone heat a blade so much or beat the impurities out so hard." Denko comments from his seat behind Blake who was driving this time.

"What can I say? I can take the heat and the rest is the proper application of brute force." His fellow blonde preens while flexing an arm.

"Yang, you are all about brute force." Weiss chips in while she reads a book.

"Hey, if you need something strong and sturdy to fight with you can come to me. If we need to know something about magic, we'll come to you." Yang retorts with a smirk.

"What about my skills? Ruby asks from where she was dangling her legs out the back.

"If we need to blend smithing techniques or learn about Dwemer technology we'll find you." Denko teases leaving the youngest of them to blush at the comment.

"And me?" Blake asks only swiveling an ear behind her.

"Infiltration into age restricted areas of libraries."

Who knew that a Khajiit's tail could move that fast to connect with his head? The smack served as a cover for her embarrassed blush while the rest of them laughed. Yang had to grab her sisters' cloak to keep her from falling off due to her laughing so hard.

The mud from the storm had slowed their wagons so that they only reached Rorikstead before calling it a day. The small tavern didn't have any room for them which left them to spend the night outside where they erected tents on the wagons to help block the cool air blowing in from the Reach. They were going to need their rest because from here on they were to be traveling through the winding mountain roads that were plagued by tribes of Reachmen, known to most of Skyrim as the Forsworn.

The Reachmen are an offshoot of the race of Bretons that were 'born' in the Reach of Skyrim and High Rock. While their differences with Bretons and Nords were much like the differences between the Colovian and Nibenese Imperials in Cyrodil, biology-wise, it was their practices that set them apart from the others. Since the Second Era they in a general sense had taken to the various mountains and valleys of the region that they claimed was their own, even at one point after the Oblivion Crisis taking the entirety of The Reach as their own kingdom separate from the provinces of the Empire. They only held their sovereignty for two years before the Empire retook the region. However that defeat had only hardened the Reachmen's conviction and so many of them have become known as the Foresworn in Skyrim.

They have a long history of what many would consider barbaric practices, including animal sacrifice, Daedra worship, and colluding with Hagravens leading them to human and mer sacrifice self-mutilation, and other such practices for power. The have for many generations terrorized the Reach with their pillaging, raiding, and murder.

It was Ren who spotted them first as he led the group today through the Druadach Mountains towards Markarth. A woman barely clad in furs that were studded with bone to act as armor with a feathery headdress and face paint so heavy that it was difficult to distinguish her features.

As the wagons drew closer the woman rose from her hiding place among some bushes drawing her bow lined with teeth on its outer edge and knocking a stone-tipped arrow. At the same time Ren drew one of his crossbows and fired. The bolt struck the Foresworn in the shoulder causing her to flinch and release her arrow which arced high over their heads. She fell back a few steps concealing herself in the shrubbery while pulling out the bolt with a grunt.

Painfully she readied another arrow and pushed through her cover for a clear shot only to receive another bolt to the other shoulder quickly followed by a third to the leg, dropping her to the ground and effectively disarming her. Nora rushed at the Foresworn scout with her hammer at the ready but getting a clear view of the woman and her injuries she relented her charge, still ready to strike at a moments' notice.

The woman on the ground saw the Nord stop and look at her with pity in her eyes. Pity for a Reachman from a Nord? The thought infuriated her, the hatred drowning out the pain from her wounds and pushing her to kill anyone her entered her peoples' territory, she was determined to at least take out the one who pitied her even if it killed her.

The Foresworn woman leapt to her feet with surprising speed and drew a simple iron dagger as she rushed the Nord with a scream. A scream that was cut short when Nora whipped her hammer around and caved in the woman's head before anyone else could react.

"Damn zealots!" Denko says loudly as he looks at the body. "Doesn't matter where you go there's bound to be a few around and it doesn't matter what they believe they always find death better than the possibility that they may be wrong."

With that said most of the group returned to the wagons to watch the horses and their supplies as they couldn't tell if there were others around. Denko took the time to search the woman, finding a few gold coins and a gem before pulling the bolts from her body and handing them back to Ren. Nora cleaned the blood off her hammer and armor at a nearby stream.

"Are we just going to leave her there?" Ruby quietly asks from her corner of the wagon as they rode away.

"With any luck wolves will find her before her tribe does. If not… hopefully what Nora did will be too much for any necromantic rituals they may have." Denko explains bitterly from the drivers seat. They were moving as quickly as possible while being cautious of the winding roads and watching for anymore ambushes. Ruby didn't say anything but accepted the facts of reality.

Yang draped n arm around her sister and smiled when the girl leaned into her embrace but stayed vigilant. Blake may have looked like she was ignoring the world by sticking her nose in a book but her ears were twitching and twisting at every sound.

They didn't bother stopping as they could see smoke and some camps of the Foresworn, electing to eat on the move and willing to push on until they found a safe area to rest. The scouts on the cliffs definitely served as encouragement and the one Denko claimed was a Briarheart put them all on edge.

"What are these Briarhearts that have you so scared?" Jaune asks the Bosmer when they stopped for the night in a cave with an outcropping large enough to keep the wagons underneath.

Denko took a breath as he collected his thoughts. "The Briarhearts are powerful members of the Foresworn who distinguished themselves as the best warriors in the tribe, skilled with blade and magic and completely devoted to their cause. They will be taken by the Hagravens who will perform a ritual where while they are still alive, remove their heart and replace it with a briar seed. The seed comes from special trees corrupted by Reach magic and fertilized with dead bodies. That seed reanimates the warrior and makes them stronger in every way, physically and magically, while keeping their minds intact. Herder to kill too unless you remove or destroy the briar seed in their chest." He explains, somewhat aware that a few of them looked like they were going to be sick.

"How much stronger are we talking about?" Yang was curious.

"Hmmmm… Let's say that Blake's strength is what they were at before the ritual but after they'd be like yours Yang."

Blake was a strong woman compared to most but she usually fought from the shadows before relying on her speed in open combat. Yang was always their teams front line fighter and used her fists as much as her maces and those fists could lift an Orc off the ground with an uppercut.

"Damn!" Yang was impressed. She knew she had muscle power over everyone here with the possible exception of Nora even matching her. Even Jaune had his feats of impressive strength on occasion yet none of them could be considered muscle bound, fit and strong but Denko was the bulkiest one of them and that wasn't saying much.

"You've fought them before?" Pyrrha asks.

"Just one up close, don't exactly want to do that again. The other I took out at a distance with a bow. Still took a few hits to put down before having to deal with the other Foresworn around him."

"Good reason to be cautious then. If need be we'll fight the Briarhearts as a team." Ren concludes with nearly everyone nodding in agreement.

Two days later the city of Markarth lay before the group of nine. They had managed to arrive without further incidents unless you count the pack of wolves and a pair of sabrecats.

The city of Markarth, built by the Dwemer ages ago still held strong but in many areas far more recent construction could be found. Cidhna Mine was questionable if the Deep Elves had started it before their disappearance as the mine was old, large, and very profitable. So much the city boasted that silver flowed more than blood. Several other mines in the Reach produced silver and gold but none as much as Cidhna Mine did.

Yet all around them the doors to the various stone homes and buildings were Dwemer made and still in use since their former owners left. The stonework was holding strong throughout the centuries of wars and sieges. The waterways flowed clean and clear from the watherfalls from above Understone Keep. It wasn't hard to imagine how Markarth must have looked when ruled by the Dwemer and this was just the surface.

"How long are we going to be here?" Weiss asks Denko who was currently looking at a stand selling various meets run by an elderly man.

"Probably a day or two, make sure have a clear and fast route through the mountains, That and double check our gear before we go looking for the Orcs." His answer seemed half-hearted as the meats before him held most of his attention.

"Can we go to the Dwemer Museum? I wanna see if they found anything new!" Ruby was literally bouncing in place with wide pleading eyes that could stop an Orc beserker in his tracks from the cuteness.

"Don't see why not… and she's gone." He deadpans when he noticed the red cloaked girl had run off as soon as he agreed to her desires.

"Ya know she's likely to stay in there until the guards kick her out." Yang jokes to the Bosmer.

"She will?"

"More than a few times when she was busy tinkering with parts and our weapons she'd skip meals and pass out at her workbench. Had to really put my foot down to stop that."

"May I ask how?"

"We moved all her stuff she was working on into a large locked room and gave the key to Weiss. Locked her away from her own work just so she'd eat and sleep."

"I'm sure she tried to make a key…"

"Seven times if I remember right. We set up Weiss' little workshop across the hall as an excuse to keep an eye on her while me and Blake helped them both."

"That kind of research must have been expensive just for one of them, let alone both." Denko was getting a bit impressed.

"Things weren't that bad really. The ruins we were in looked like they were research facilities anyway and had plenty of resources nearby. Yang would usually work the forge and cook while I'd hunt for fresh food or scrounge the place for interesting things that Ruby or Weiss might need." Blake adds in as they browse the small market. Weiss had taken it upon herself to follow after her friend and attempt to keep her out of trouble.

"The stuff they did with our help really worked out y'know." Yang bragged as she stroked her gauntlets with loving care.

Elsewhere Jaune and his team had taken to wandering downstream to where the river ran through the city. Specifically, they were following Nora who had become distracted by a feather that was being carried away by the small channel in front of the Silver-Blood Inn, leading them to be standing near the entrance to the Warrens.

"Behave yourselves in our city or you'll find yourself in Cidhna Mine. Only had one escape and it took the Dragonborn to do." A passing guard warned them as he saw Ren holding Nora back from the water. Nora had the sense to stop struggling at that point and pout which seemed to satisfy the guard who then continued his patrol.

It was then that the four of them took notice of the two guards standing just outside of the mine/prison entrance, another on a nearby bridge, a fourth some distance away on some stairs, and by the sounds a fifth a level above them- all watching them. Very suddenly self-concious about everything they made their way back towards the markets, trying not to move too quickly to draw more eyes. Along the way they nearly ran into the same guard that warned them, swiftly moving to let them pass where he gave them a nod and a pleased sounding grunt.

"Those guys really are scary popping out of the stonework like that." Pyrrha says to her friends once they reached the markets where the sounds of the crowd would cover their conversation.

Nora was still sulking. "I just wanted the feather." Ren simply patted the short statured girl on the shoulder.

"Let's just get to the inn, the others should be there already." Jaune was already tired of this city if that was how the guards were going to be to outsiders. Then again, he was a Breton and he had noticed how many stares were on him and not Nora, obviously these people were always watching for the next possible Foresworn attack from both inside and out. Still it was hard to not grumble at the injustice of it all.

The room they shared at the Silver-Blood Inn where a middle-aged man named Hreinn and his sister Hroki ran the place was large and spacious for two people but with nine it was a bit cramped. The owners didn't mind so much so long as they paid and didn't make a mess. The cooking pots by the fire place apparently allowed the patrons to cook their own meals to their satisfaction, with the benefit of giving the owners a small break of having to do it so they could concentrate on the other customers. Denko had bought some meat and vegetables at the market and made a stir-fry dish with Ren and Jaune making some sauces to add flavor.

"Didn't know you could cook like that Denko!" Yang teases, not particularly bothered by the small splattering of sauce on her face. Ruby and Nora even less so once they found the sweet sauce rather than the spicy one that Denko, Yang, and Jaune preferred. Ren opted to blend the two with Blake and Pyrrha copying soon after. Weiss tried the spicy before quickly switching to a light drizzling of the sweet.

"Had plenty of time to practice." He answers casually as he ate a chunk of carrot.

"Right, elven lifespan and all that." The blonde girl tries dismiss the subject.

"Hey, I'm not that old!" Yang quirks an eyebrow as she glances at the three mer at the table. A slight challenge to defend the claim. The room was quiet which was odd given that Nora and Ruby were occupants and awake.

"Fine… I'm only thirty-five, happy now?"

"Wow, nearly twice our age. How does it feel to be an old man?" Nora comments, breaking any tension as she has a habit of doing.

"I'm twenty-seven." Pyrrha offers with an awkward smile and a slightly raised hand.

"Thirty." Was Ren's quiet input.

"As far as Mer are concerned, those three are barley considered more than children especially since Mer consider middle-age to be about two hundred years old for most." Weiss explains from her corner of the table for the others benefits.

"So… we're older than you?" Ruby asks the present Mer-folk.

"Only relatively when potential life spans are taken into account. We mer grow up just as fast as men but once we hit our twenties, we begin to age much slower." Pyrrha takes the opportunity to explain to the young girl.

"The downside to all of that life is that we don't make much new life." Upon seeing some confused glances Denko had to elaborate. "Mer don't have many children, three kids are often considered a large family. We simply don't breed beyond what our civilization can support. You humans can practically pop one out every year for a decade or two. Then there's the Khajiit and their litters and the Argonians with their egg clutches." The Bosmer rambled, not particularly aware that he was one of three mer and males respectively in the room or that his comments brought red faces from embarrassment.

"Hey Denko?" Jaune was uncomfortable and extremely aware that he was surrounded by women, who were trained and proven warriors. It was then that the Bosmer recognized the situation.

"And that is a good reason why elves don't rule Tamriel anymore." Weiss smirks as she dabs her lips with a napkin.

"Nearly all of the races have tried to rule the continent or committed horrible acts such as the Nords genocide against the Snow Elves, their invasion of Morrowind that forced the Chimer and Dwemer to ally to drive them back to Skyrim." Ren quietly adds to the conversation, the words mellowing some of the opinions of the humans and mer present.

"Thanks for dinner guys! Ruby and Nora are on dish duty!" Yang suddenly declares quite loudly before leaving. The pair nominated grumbled but began their tasks completely lacking the energy they were known for. The rest finished their meal and helped to finish the clean up faster.

Sometime later Denko found himself walking the streets that were mostly empty, not that Markarth truly had streets but walkways. The fresh air was nice so long as he stayed away from the smelters. He eventually came across Yang on the small bridge overlooking the vacant and leaning on the ledge. Masser and Secunda were shining bright tonight and her hair seemed to shine with a light of it's own, those strands of gold framing her face.

"Hey." She snapped him out of his daze without even looking at him, merely continuing to watch the late shoppers and the vendors packing up their wares for the night.

Sidling next to his fellow blonde and mimicking her position he responded, "Hey."

Finally glancing at the Bosmer she tried to lift the tension that seemed to settle over them. "Ya know I didn't come out here to cry my ayes out if that's what you were thinking."

"Sorry for what I said back there. Sometimes I start rambling."

"Don't worry about it, we all know you do that and we're used to it. It's… It's just what you said about kids… it brought up some bad old memories."

"You don't like kids?"

"I love kids and this… does feel awkward talking to a guy about." Yang tried to laugh the subject off.

"Better?" She glanced over at her friend whos' voice had changed during the simple word. Now he was a she and her attempt to avoid the subject fell flat on its face. Though she couldn't keep the smile off her face at the oddity before her that she called her friend.

"Fine!" The natural woman laughed before getting serious as she collected her thoughts.

"Me and Ruby grew up with Dad and Uncle Qrow. When they were younger, they had a team like we do along with two others, Grow's twin sister Raven, and Summer Rose." She sighs. "Raven… was my mother but left us all without any reason not long after I was born. Later Dad and Summer got together and Ruby followed soon after.

"Summer was a true mom to us, a slayer of giant monsters and baker of sweetrolls. Then one day she took on a job for the Guild and never came back. I think Ruby was too young to really get it but…"

"You weren't and you're afraid of the same happening to a kid of your own." It wasn't a question so much as it was a statement. Tears fell from the taller blonde as she nodded. "Then it's a good thing you have so many good friends who will do what they can to prevent that and I really doubt you'd ever abandon anyone you care about, for any reason." The Bosmer was serious.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Her mood seemed to be improving.

"Knowing that there might be an issue is the best way to fight it, certainly better than not knowing about it until it happens."

"You think I have issues?" That line made Denko tense a bit but not as much as her conversation partner.

She decided it was best to remain truthful, lying to make her feel better would likely be painful for both later. "A few minor ones but this was apparently a big one. Take them one at a time and you'll find a way through or around them." She shrugs.

The bridge was quiet for some time, at least long enough for Denko to notice the lack of guards beyond those at the city gate and the keep.

"When did you get so wise?" Yang broke the silence and the accumulating tension.

"Experience and I know I have my own issues to work through like anyone else." Was her honest reply as she stared at the moons.

"With a touch of my hand I'll turn your life to go~~ld." Yang sang quietly to herself.

Denko softly laughs a bit. "Funny you should say that in a city that runs on silver."

"Maybe but it's a line from a song that Mom made for me." The young woman smiled at the fond memory as she watched Denko remove the Ring and assumed his natural form. The soft smile turned into a smirk as she closed the distance between them.

"And maybe if you keep this up you'll hear the rest of the song." She teased before giving a peck to his cheek and sauntering away, fully aware that his wide eyes were on her. She couldn't help but wink at the Bosmer before rounding a corner and disappearing from his sight.

Neither blonde were able to get much sleep that night due to their own thoughts.


	7. Weapons and Armor

Armor and Weapons

This entire chapter is for the description of Denko, RWBY, and JNPR's weapons and armors. Please keep in mind that I am combining elements of what Roosterteeth had given us with the cast while trying to keep the theme of being lore friendly with The Elder Scrolls. As such many of the armors and more standardized weapons will be taken from Elder Scrolls Online due to the sheer variety of styles available and RWBY is all about individualism. A brief overview of the characters will be included.

Denko- A Bosmer with no family name or family that he even knows of. Found at a young age by battle mages in Valenwood he discovered his own talents with spell and sword. Endlessly curious and discontent to stay with his adopted family he left to test what he had learned, to learn more, and hone his skills while developing a somewhat loose moral compass.

Armor- Breton Hat 2, Wood Elf Jerkin 4, Tsaesci Epaulets, Tsaesci Bracers, Assassins League Sash, Tsaesci Guards, Tsaesci Boots.

Weapons- A uniquely and personally crafted battle axe where the entire head is a single thick blade as wide as his hand and 2.5 hands long. The blade ends with a flared hook on one side with both sides being razer sharp. A concealed lock releases a Tsaesci styled dagger sheathed within and thus allowing for easy dual wielding. Both blades are powerfully enchanted with shock magic. He also carries a pair of smaller daggers on hand both with an absorb health enchantment.

Magic- Though he has a general grasp of all schools of magic specializing in the Destruction School in Shock spells. He typically utilizes Illusion for stealth and Conjuration to summon a Bound Bow or Atronachs.

Ruby Rose- A young Imperial whos' father is a Nord, born and raised on the island of Yneslea. Trained by her father and uncle who work for the local Fighters Guild chapter as well as serving as trainers. At some point in her young life she became interested in Dwemer technology and not just an expert at the forge. Left home with her sister to explore several Dwemer ruins where she was able to experiment and forge to her hearts content. Her focus on their technology rather than their magical capabilities and culture, and even their disappearance could rank her as one of the top Dwemer researchers on Nirn.

Armor- Imperial Hat 1 (with a cloak attached), Redguard Jack 4, Redguard Epaulets 1, Imperial Gloves 4, Imperial Girdle 4, Order of the Hour Guards, Imperial Boots 3.

Weapons- Crescent Rose is a scythe built to collapse upon itself for ease of transportation. Fully expanded the weapon is longer than its wielder is tall, the blade alone is more than half her height in its length. This scythes shaft houses a powerful and compact crossbow mechanism with a small scope. The bolts it fires can be customized with a variety of enchantments in addition to the incredible range and accuracy it offers. Ruby also carries a short sword for situations when she can't use her "Baby".

Magic- Generalist at best in terms of magic, never surpassing Adept in any school however that generality has helped her in her Dwemer studies. Just don't count on her for magical aid in a major situation.

Weiss Schnee- The heiress to a large share of the East Empire Company, she had been provided many of the finest education, training in various subjects, and left wanting little but her father saw his family as little more than pawns. His eldest daughter left to join the Legion to escape his grasp. Weiss found a pair of sisters passing through town and ran from home to join them and experience the world without her father pulling strings around her. Saying that her eyes were opened to his cruelty would be an understatement thus inspiring her to eventually return and take over the company and lead it to far kinder employment option.

Armor- Frostcaster Robe, Frostcaster Epaulets, Frostcaster Gloves, Frostcaster Sash, Frostcaster Breeches, Frostcaster Shoes.

Weapon- Myrtenaster- A sword made from stahlrim with a unique guard that includes a revolving cylinder that contains powdered soul gems and atronach salts that allows for various prepared spell in their rawest form which she is capable of molding as needed as the situation requires. This is in addition to being a talented mage. Has a preference for ice magic.

Magic- Specializing in magic first and foremost, she has a strong preference for Frost spells and Cojuration of various Atronachs and even capable of summoning Daedra to assist in battle. Her weakest area is in Restoration as a whole, capable of the basics but takes considerable concentration and effort.

Blake Belladonna- A Khajiit whose family has lived in High Rock for several generations, eventually taking a more Breton name that matched their traditional family crest. Her parents had originally founded a "Beast-folk" civil rights group several years after the Great War that pushed against the discrimination on their fellow Khajiit, Argonians, Minotaurs, Centaurs, and even extending to Goblins and Ogres. Moderately successful her parents left the leadership to others while Blake was young to finally really settle down and raise their daughter only for her to soon leave them for their creation, the White Fang.

Armor- Originally utilizing a full set of Khajiiti leather armor minus the helmet, after taking on a job with Denko she switched to Shrouded Armor though she rarely uses the hood and mask. She died the armor from its original black and red colors to black and nightshade purple.

Weapon- Gambol Shroud, a sword that has been heavily modified with help from Ruby. The katana like weapon is sheathed within a cleaver like blade which is sheathed on her back. The hilt and guard of the true sword have been rigged with a dart firing mechanism that is readied by simply loading the magazine of darts. Each dart is accurate up to 30 meters with a maximum range of 60m. Rarely used for long range but largely used for surprise attacks. Blake had taken to tying an elastic ribbon to her sword and using that to throw and retrieve her blade for further surprises.

Magic- Specializing in Illusion magic, she is capable of moving unseen and without a sound… more than what she is capable of doing naturally. Capable of the basics in the other Schools.

Yang Xiao Long- Born and raised on the Imperial island of Yneslea with her sister Ruby, Yang found at a young age that she is unusually strong and had taken to fighting unarmed- particularly enjoying the times she'd spar with fresh recruits at the Fighter's Guild where her father and uncle served as trainers. After Ruby's mother died on a mission for the guild Yang balanced the burden of being a surrogate mother and big sister. When Ruby became more obsessed with Dwemer technology and wanted to go to their ruined cities to explore and experiment, Yang went with her to keep her safe and have fun exploring.

Armor- Dark Elf Jerkin 4, Redguard Epaulets 2, Psijic Flame Gauntlets, Assassins League Belt, Breton Guards 2, Breton Boots 1

Weapons- Prefers using her fists, she helped Ruby design and build her Ember Celica- a pair of gauntlets with a highly compact crossbow-like firing mechanism. Easy to reload with short belts of ammunition, it is capable of firing bolts, specially enhanced bolts, or even pellets containing fire salts, sulfur, and kindlepitch. Requires manual locking of the firing mechanism -a plate that also serves as a guard- locking automatically reloads the firing chamber. Even when empty a shot releases plenty of force, making a well-timed punch and release is devastating. Little imagination is required if repeated with ammunition loaded. A pair of Ashlander Maces with powerful fire enchantments serves as her backup weapons.

Magic- The most naturally skilled at Restoration magic on her four-person team, she became the de facto medic. Her other talent comes in the form of Flame spells being far more potent than most others at the cost of little skill in nearly every other School. Has an odd Flame spell mitigation ability while suffering increased vunerability to Frost.

Jaune Arc- The Arcs are a well-respected family within High Rock though not wealthy enough to be considered nobility. The family has a long history of producing warriors who became local heroes. Jaune is the only son of the current generation, though his seven sisters are strong-willed and unlikely to give up their family name. Jaune ran into a pair of adventurers and soon took his family heirloom weapon and scrounged up some armor that fit him and joined the two. They didn't take long to join the Fighters Guild to help Jaune train, provide food and shelter, and plenty of regular work.

Armor- Orc Cuirass 2, Skinchanger Arm Cops, Redguard Gauntlets 4, High Elf Sash 4, Khajiit Breeches 3, Redgaurd Sabatons 4.

Weapons- Crocea Mors, an ancient family sword and shield that has survived countless wars and battles. While the sword was clearly styled in Breton fashion and extremely well crafted, the shield had apparently been a Dwemer gift to work with the sword. Said shield is capable of retracting its sides into itself to resemble a large sheath, which it is as that part and function rests at the center of the shield. This shield has a secondary capability of jutting out the outermost segments and shifting to reveal a razor-sharp edge. This form is only capable of being unlocked with the sword sheathed and effectively turning the weapon into a great sword forgoing defense for a powerful offence. The set has no enchantments other than whatever was used to ensure that it would be nearly impossible to destroy.

Magic- While showing little talent in most Schools of magic, he found a particular talent in the defensive applications of Alteration magic as well as the healing spells in the Restoration School. His applications of both areas have served him well to keep him and his friends safe.

Nora Valkyrie- An orphaned Nord girl who in spite of life's hardships is generally a happy person. Serious or understanding when required her default mood seems to be a crazy-happy. Found at a young age by her best friend Ren during the destruction of his home village, the two have been practically inseperable. The running joke involving Nora is that she's favored by both Talos and Sheogorath.

Armor- Skinchanger Jerkin, Imperial Epaulets 2, Wood Elf Gloves 4, Assassins League Belt, Hallowjack Breeches, Reguard Boots 3.

Weapons- Molag Kena Maul, a very powerful war-hammer that is very large and difficult for most to lift let alone use effectively that she calls Magnihild. Molag Kena Bow, a powerful bow of daedric origins like its' hammer counterpart. Nora has taken often to equipping her arrows with explosives.

Magic- As a Nord she has taken to her peoples' aversion to magic with the exception of utilizing Shock magic almost exclusively utilizing it to boost her strength and zap enemies she can't hit with her hammer. Has been known to utilize alteration to boost her durability so she can fight more.

Pyrrha Nikos- A young Altmer who has proven herself to be one of the best in melee combat with her sword and shield, and is skilled with an old style of magical combat called "Aedric Spear". Being raised within the Summerset Isles she had access to the best training available and surpassed most expectations. However, she left her possible high-ranking position within the Thalmor to explore Tamriel where she met some friends that she wouldn't give up for anything.

Armor- Elven Hero Armor

Weapons- High Elf Sword 4, Baandari Peddler Shield.

Magic- Various forms of the Aedric Spear magical combat style in combination with her weapons seamlessly. She will occasionally utilize basic Destruction spells in combat. Has a knack for telekenisis that is oddly more effective on metal than other objects.

Lie Ren- A Dunmer with Akaviri heritage who was orphaned at a young age due to an Argonian raiding party destroying his hometown, Ren took comfort in the fact that he wasn't alone when he found Nora. He is a quiet and very reserved individual which is balanced by his friends' boisterous nature. He excels in close quarters combat, with or without his weapons.

Armor- Breton Hero Armor

Weapons- A pair of Dremora Daggers, a pair of compact dart launchers that focus more on firing speed over power. They still have decent range and accuracy despite this. Not particularly effective against heavy armor but great for exploiting the weak points. Ren excels at martial arts so that he is just as deadly without weapons as he is with them.

Magic- Surprisingly uninterested in magic in general yet has a talent with Illusion magic that has allowed him to evade enemy detection since the raid that orphaned him. It was also during that raid where he could use that same magic to conceal others where he used it on Nora who had stumbled into the village earlier that day.

If you want to know the colors of their armors, think about Volumes 4-6 and in Pyrrha's case 1-3. Denko utilizes a brown on green color scheme.

AN: I hope this helps to give my readers a better idea in their minds to picture how they look. Also a shoutout to **saelinne** for being the newest follower of Empire Rising. Thank you.


	8. Wrothgar

Empire Rising

Wrothgar

Two days later found the group attached to a caravan traveling through the Druadach Mountains to Wrothgar on their way to High Rock proper. They were playing the part of security guards for the caravan, unpaid even as they were only traveling part way with them. It may have been summer at the moment but being in the mountains made the season seem shorter, if the cooler weather was anything to go by.

Small herds of echatere roamed the land along with the occasional elk and deer and plenty of squirrels. The packs of durzog and wolves kept the trip from being boring either from the packs testing their strength or simply watching them and being watched in return. The massive stone quarry worked by the long lasting Tomnosh Clan just outside of their massive stronghold situated on a rocky rise overlooking the rolling plains that dominated most of the area. The odd Ogre could be seen once in a while, most of them simply watching the wagons go by before walking off to continue whatever they were doing.

The caravan stopped for the night at the second attempt to build Orsinium. The massive stone walls stood as a lasting testament to the Orcs who built the city, even if they were heavily battle scarred. Inside the gates for as far as the eye could see were the old wide paved streets pocked with small craters caused by siege engines. Nearly every building no longer had roofs and many had large holes in the walls. The remains of an enormous smithy were only recognized by the sign that hung outside the pile of rubble, seemingly a last act of defiance against the enemies of the Orcs who lived here.

The winding streets were strewn with bricks and blocks of stones. The occasional piece of metal from a weapon or armor, maybe tools or such were rusted beyond recognition. Any wood was burned and rotted away centuries ago. The ancient keep that held the throne of the Orsimer King was battered nearly beyond recognition and the statues that looked to celebrate heroes were all toppled and decapitated, the heads were arranged across the steps of the keep with each having an iron spike driven into it. Finishing the insult was a statue of a Breton with a sword raised high in one hand and a large hammer in the other, a bandolier of iron spikes across his chest.

"H-how could someone do this?" Ruby's small voice broke the quiet beyond that of the blowing winds through the snow dusted streets and ruins. Aside from that they were silent except from their boots on the stones. The rest of the caravan had stayed back by the main gate to make camp, refusing to go any further into the grave of hundreds out of respect and fear.

"Ignorance is a powerful thing." Denko quietly answers as he looks around at the near complete lack of life around him.

"Ignorance can lead to hatred as easily as it can lead to you being robbed of everything you own. Ignorance in mass leads to mobs that have no understanding of what they are doing, they don't question it, they don't care why, and when it's over many may look back at the results with pride and would be proud to repeat the cycle." Ren nods as he concludes the sentiment.

"And yet the Orcs are trying to work together and settle down in a land of their own, yet they are already under attack before they can truly start." Ruby asks, her hood covered head couldn't hide the tears that fell around her feet.

"Yes Ruby." Weiss' response was short, she didn't feel like talking much with this monument to destructive hatred all around them and nearly personified in front of them.

If anyone was about to say anything it was cut off by Crescent Rose expanding, its owner dropping its standard bolt cartridge for another. Yang caught her sisters cue pretty quick and readied her gauntlets. Nora's face bore no smile but hardened into grim determination as she drew her bow notched with a large tipped arrow.

Caravaneers jumped at the sound of a massive explosion yet no one moved from their camp, instead watching for signs of danger. Their last-minute guard addition had gone on patrol in the former city in case any bandits or dangerous creatures had taken up residence in the ruins. A few minutes later one of them spotted them returning with grim faces.

Sensing the dangerous aura from the youngest in the group a path was cleared as Ruby climbed into her team's wagon and laid down with her sister following. The Nord who was usually so full of life seemed cold and was provided an undisturbed entry into her own wagon, practically dragging her Dunmer friend with her. The rest simply sat down by the nearest fire in silence. Some of the merchants looked on in confusion at the two covered wagons and the normally lively bunch of warriors, ultimately leaving them alone with the exception of one of their children bringing them some food.

The two wagons split off from the caravan the next morning to head north leaving the traders to continue their journey west. Even their parting was somber, a few quiet thanks were passed and directions offered before the division.

In front of the ruined keep the Breton statue lay on its back, massive scorched chunks were missing from its body and head. The arms had shattered in its fall and legs broken at the knees. The spikes that were in the stone Orcs now resided within their stone torturer while the heads now surrounded the fallen body, forever staring at their enemy.

Dusk was approaching when Jaune spotted the glow of a fire. Soon it was revealed to be a torch, then a few, and cresting a final hill they could see what had to be hundreds of torches. From small fires carried by sentries making their rounds to the bonfires atop watchtowers near wooden barricades, the entire area was lit up. The banners waving in the breeze over the encampment showed that it belonged to a joint army from High Rock and Hammerfell. Still they were still far away enough that they were highly unlikely that they were to be seen.

"Don't move!" A harsh voice commands from nowhere. Despite the order, nearly everyone reached for a weapon while looking for the speaker. Standing next to a tree among some bushes and tall grass was an Orc in dark leather armor with an arrow notched and drawn with a second loosely held in his free fingers. A full quiver hung by his waist along with an axe and dagger. He wasn't exactly large for an Orc but apparently he didn't rely on brute strength and will if his ability to go unnoticed was any indication.

"You in the cloak! Come closer so I can see that crest you wear." The bow stayed ready to fire even as his gaze moved from one person to another while maintaining his distance to keep them all in view.

Ruby slowly walked towards him, keeping her hands up and away from her scythe and sword. She stopped two strides away from the bowman who lowered his weapon but kept it ready as he studied the crest on her left shoulder that served as a clasp for her cloak along with the stylized rose on her right.

A bronze plate the size of her palm, circular with a raised edge, a simple raised depiction of a mountain in the center surrounded by fourteen raised round bumps. The crest was simple in its design and worn by all nine of them in some prominent place whether it be on the chest, arm, or waist. All of them bore some sort of emblem unique to themselves as well, something that many warriors eventually did to set them apart from the rabble as they began to make names for themselves. Still the Orc recognized the crest and hung his bow over his shoulder and returning the arrows to the quiver.

"Hmmm… So you're the ones Malacath sent to help us? Don't look like much." The Orc comments as he assessed them further.

"I've punched out guys bigger than you before, guess I'll beat some manners into ya now." Yang was quick to fire back as she strode forward to stand by her sister.

The Orc was fast to raise his hands in a surrender gesture but also to laugh. "Feisty one, ain't ya? I like that but it'll take more than a quick temper to convince the chiefs that you can help us."

"We can see where the enemy army is but where is your stronghold? I'm Denko by the way." The Bosmer had walked up to stand by the sisters and get a closer look at the Orsimer.

"Kree gro-Nashtur." The men shook hands, briefly testing each-others grip and giving as good as they got. "Follow me but don't light any torches or lamps. Bring those wagons with you, they'll fit and we need a fresh false trail anyway." The Orc didn't wait long before leading the way, Blake drove the lead wagon as she could see best with Ren following. The rest walked along side and watching for a possible ambush with the opposing army camp so close by.

Kree led the group along a winding trail, meandering their way to a cliff face where a handful of small caves or mining attempts had left holes in the solid stone. The Orsimer walked into the cavern second from the right side but was quick to leave and moved three holes to the left and walked in, motioning for them all to follow.

"That's pretty ingenious." Denko commented after the heavy wooden door closed behind them, a few small lanterns lead the way but they lit a few torches for themselves and the horses to see better.

"That's nothing, that key fits all of the gates but this is the only gate that doesn't lead to a trap. Simple but effective as well as a way for any scout that gets caught to have the last laugh." Kree laughs over the clattering of the wagons in the tunnel.

"Impressive." Weiss complements leading for the others to nod in agreement.

"Sounds like an old Khajiiti trial, probably linked to Rajhin." Blake muses.

"This is a great back door but what are your defenses?" Jaune asks their guide, though in doing so he nearly tripped over a rock.

The Orc looked back at the Breton before turning to the Bosmer, "Who's that guy?" He asks while pointing at the stumbling man.

Denko couldn't stop the laugh and shook his head a little as he recalled the trend of being overlooked by the taller blonde. "He may not be as skilled as the rest of us in combat but he's stronger than he looks, a healer, and a great strategist."

"If you say so." Kree grunts out. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Jaune had drifted back with the rest of the girls. "I got ignored again." His mood improved a little with the familiar squeeze of Pyrrha's hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Jaune! You weren't being ignored, you were simply… um… dismissed?" Ruby tried to cheer him up but failed spectacularly. Pyrrha's response was to smile awkwardly at the younger girls attempt and tightened her grip on his shoulder. Yang and Blake shook their heads while Weiss actually dropped her face into her hands thanks to her friends' poor use of vocabulary.

A single guard stood at the exit door, clad in full heavy armor and a pair of axes at his waist. He merely grunted at the odd group as he looked them over but after Kree made a subtle hand sign he pulled a large bolt and unlocked the door. The portal opened into the Orc stronghold revealing a bustling settlement, to their left is a large smithing complex with a few large furnaces and a number of anvils and grindstones nearby- a sight that Ruby couldn't wait for a chance to interact with. On their right was the first of several longhouses.

Further inside were five longhouses that surrounded a single large tree. The entire town sat within a natural bowl partway up a mountain. The gates were hard to miss as they were open as if inviting the invading army inside yet it was through these gate that they could see a long ravine with sheer cliffs on either side with a series of four more gates spaced all the way down. Above the last gate that blocked access to the plains below were simple watchtowers built on the cliffs on either side, easily capable of spotting anything nearby.

The enemy camp was a fair distance from the first gate yet close enough that they could see anyone that went through them. It was close enough that if either force sent their soldiers out, they could quickly respond in turn while any far enough away that any sizable attack force would have plenty of open land to cover. In short it was a stalemate that the Orcs would lose if the siege was prolonged too much. If the Orcs attacked and somehow won the battle they would be severely weakened and easy targets for reinforcements.

Even the camp was fortified as it sat on top of a small series of rocky outcroppings. A simple but effective wooden wall was erected around the camp, though not completely as the outcropping filled the holes or watchtowers were built in those spaces. An effective defense against any Orsimer counterattacks. The hundreds of soldiers behind those wooden walls served as a grim reminder why the Orcs invested so much effort into their own defenses before anything else hence the gates.

It was Jaune who gave their surprise at the view a voice. "Wow." The others could only nod numbly at the word.

Three large Orcs stood around a table with a map on it under a canopy erected under the central tree that Kree lead the group towards. The horses and wagons being left behind just outside of the tunnel. Three females standing around the canopy met them partway with weapons drawn.

"Hold it right there Kree! Who are these people?" One of the women yelled at their guide. Her raised voice got the attention of the three men behind them as well as anyone in the plaza who hadn't already seen them.

"These strangers bear the seal that Malacath showed us that his champion would have." Kree answered back surprisingly calmly.

"And how do you know it's really them? Those Bretons might try something like that!" The woman accused.

"Because it's my job to know and watch for these kinds of things." Compared to the woman Kree was actually fairly calm while she seemed to grow angrier at every exchange.

"Enough!" One of the men from the table barks out, causing the woman to flinch and seem to curl into herself a bit as the man stepped forward towards Kree. The younger Orc didn't so much as flinch but locked eyes with the man, even while offering a small bow.

"Kree, explain." Obviously he was a man of few words.

"Chief Koralg, I found them approaching the stronghold while out on patrol. The bear the seal that Malacath showed us that his champion would carry. After verifying it I brought them here to you and the other chiefs." Kree explains, only moving to gesture to Ruby who happened to be the closest at the time.

"So it is." An elderly Orc woman proclaimed, somehow within the small crowd of newcomers without any of them noticing her presence. She cackled at their reactions upon noticing her even as she walked around them with the help of her staff, her gaze made them feel as though they were being examined inside and out and her laughter only made the situation feel creepier.

"Mother, please?" Koralg actually wined at the laughing elder. It was hard not to feel the chief's embarrassment and no one called him out for it, either from fear, respect, or apathy. Ruby and Yang could relate thanks to their dad while Blake's thoughts turned to her mother. Jaune's large family came to his mind along with a helping of guilt to go along with his empathy.

Her son's reaction merely set her off again, leaving the newcomers to question her sanity, silently and kept within their heads. The fact that many of the Orcs who had stopped whatever they were doing to watch had now returned to their tasks spoke volumes on how often she did this.

"So these are the young'ns Malacath sent to our aid? I must say he's got good taste!" The old woman laughed as she glanced at the two sisters before flicking her eyes to the mer.

"It seems so, Elder." Kree agreed vaguely as Koralg seemed unconfortable to answer.

"Good, good. Take a break Kree." Her mirth dropped as she became almost motherly to the scout before becoming serious and pointing at the new group. "You lot, get over here 'round the table." With that she walked over to the map with the three orc men following diligently, the women took positions around the tent. With a shrug Ruby, Jaune, and Denko took the lead and stood around the table with the others making themselves comfortable behind them, Nora found a tree root to stand on so she could see while leaning on Ren's shoulders.

"Um, we didn't get your names." Jaune says as one of the men he was next to was best described as muscle-bound to the point that he didn't bother with much armor- sabatons and gauntlets, some layers leather pants held up by a very sturdy looking belt and a pair of pauldrons held on by thick leather straps crossed over his massive chest and back. Where they crossed, they held an ornate metal depiction of Malacath's face. A massive Warhammer hung from his back that looked like it could crush the skull of a wamasu in a single blow.

The other man was far slimmer and while wearing a full set of more traditional Orcish armor, closer inspection revealed that it was lighter than standard heavy armor belying that the man relied on speed and skill over powering through hits. Especially since he carried a pair of finely honed swords with a matching pair of daggers.

"I'm Chief Koralg gro-Kishrat. This is my mother and our clans' wise woman, Krilin. These are my fellow Clan Chiefs Gronog gro-Rantu and Kiln gro-Borsch." The apparent leader introduces. The massive Granog remained expressionless despite the grunt of acknowledgement while Kiln nodded politely. "The other two Chiefs, Morgel and Nadru are handling other matters right now but the three of us are in charge of our defenses."

"How are your defenses? We saw the gates and it looks like you have the high ground but that's all we've seen so far." Jaune asks. The question was expected by his friends as he is a better stratagist than a fighter.

"As you aid we have the high ground and the gates. You'll see more from the upper watchtower." Krilin offers.

"We have the terrain advantage here and those idiots found that out the hard way not to mess with Orcs." Koralg supplies proudly.

"What did they try?" Ruby asks as she thinks of what kind of maneuver was used.

"They tried charging the gates." Granog states, while his face remained stoic his voice revealed his amusement at the memory.

Krilin decided to elaborate as she knew the massive Chief didn't like to speak much. "We saw them charging in and let them in the first gate. There they were trapped, we rained arrows on them and plenty of rocks. Then we opened the second gate and our warriors wiped out most of the rest." Jaune and Ruby whistled in unison in their appreciation of the trap used.

"Then the rest of their army showed up and set up over there on the hill. They tried breaching the gates once since then. They failed obviously. Now they are just trying to starve us out. Cowards." Koralg finishes.

"What stopped you from rushing them in return?" Yang asks from over her sisters shoulder.

"The field between us, it would be a slaughter before having to climb the rocks and walls where they are shooting from. Plus they outnumber us five to one." Kiln explains.

"Oh."

"Can we get a look from the watchtower?" Denko finally speaks.

"Kree knows the land and the patrols best, he's our best scout. He'll take you up." Krilin says before motioning for someone to fetch him.

A short time later Ruby, Jaune, and Denko found themselves at the top of a watchtower on the mountain peak. The view was amazing if it was night time. The rest of the group had been provided a small lodge, technically it was a recently built supply shed that had yet to be used.

"Hey Kree, what's that camp over there?" Jaune asks as he takes his eye from the long lens he was using and pointing to the north where the glow of a few fires could be seen near the top of the mountain.

"That'll be the Rockfist clan of Ogres."

"Ogres, here?"

"Wisewoman Krilin spoke to them when we moved here, they stay on their side of the creek and we stay on ours for hunting. No fighting each other. Simple rules that no one broke yet. Talk is that next year we might try trading a few things with them."

"You're going to try trading with ogres?" Denko was surprised.

"They aren't the brightest around but smart enough to know good deals when offered. Plus I'd rather have them to not be my enemy."

"What about that camp to the south?" Ruby asks without removing her eye from her scope. Thankfully she hadn't fully unfurled Crescent Rose in the small space but even the partial deployment was enough to amaze their guide and the watchman.

"Goblins. Two tribes living together for some reason and there's a third not far from them as well."

"Planning for trades with them too?" Denko comments as he looks at the camp Ruby pointed out, borrowing the lens from Jaune.

"Don't think so. Krilin had sent a message a few weeks ago, just before this mess started."

"They can read?" Ruby asks, looking back to the orc who merely shrugs in response.

"What tribes are they?" Denko asks.

Kree began counting on his fingers. "The tribe that lived there the longest is the Venom Fang. They have a love for toxic things for whatever reason but at least they keep it to themselves. Don't fancy attacking them at home for any reason. The Skull Crush tribe joined them a few years ago. Big bastards for goblins, nearly as big as your average Orc. The Iron Head tribe moved into the area sometime after the first thaw this year. Don't know much about them yet beyond they all wear helmets."

Jaune sighs while Ruby yawns. "I guess that's all we can do right now. I'll need to come up here in the light to see the layout of the land. I have some ideas to finish working out."

Denko stretches his back with a few cracks that made the young girl wince. "A bed sounds good to me." He says as he starts his way down. Ruby paused as she looks out over the land that was highly likely to be the next battlefield. This wouldn't be a battle that she'd read about in a book or someone's story, this would be with her direct involvement. She shook her head of the thoughts and followed after her friends.

The next morning June was up the watchtower in time to see the sunrise, though he was alone with the watchman. The light revealed to him that were hidden in the cover of night and he found it interesting in how the landscape seemed to change under the light of Magnus as the day moved on. He watched some of the enemy troops move about in their own encampment, he'd have to compare notes with Kree when he could. Then there were the ogres and goblins, he'd have to talk to Krilin about them.

The Breton found himself involved in a lengthy discussion with the five Chief's, Krilin, Ruby, Denko, and Kree that lasted most of the day. Thankfully the chief's Shield-Wives were able to keep anyone from disturbing them. The rest of the group kept themselves occupied helping where they could. By sunset a plan was laid out yet the details would have to wait to be finalized. Still what they did decide on had left Ruby giddy and nearly rushing off to the forge to work through the night. Weiss had to convince her friend to get some sleep before starting her project.

The next day found Yang, Nora, and Denko escorting Krilin outside the stronghold and heading north towards where the smoke of bonfires could be faintly seen. Despite her age, the Orc still moved quickly and lightly with her staff acting more as a convenient weapon rather than a walking implement- as proven when a wolf attacked and she snapped its spine with a single blow before anyone else could attack. As a result, the sole male of their motley crew had to carry the carcass to serve as a gift to the ogres.

Approaching the camp of ogres, Krilin let out a warbling yell, the unexpected noise had caused the others to draw their weapons. The old woman laughed at their confusion and kept walking, the ogres nearest them watching carefully. A pair of smaller ogres ran ahead of them, only distinguished from Orcs by their proportions rather than their size.

Situated by a small cliff face, a large and crude tent was set up, decorated with a variety of skulls- mostly wolves, durzogs, deer, and trolls but no shortage of human and elven skulls. Behind it all, sitting on a large pile of furs and grasses was their chief. A massive creature that was as tall as his underlings even while sitting, hands large enough to wrap around their waists, and enough muscle to smash boulders. Yet his eyes were sharp as he looked them over carefully. Slowly he motioned for Krilin to come closer.

"Chief Bronzongi, we've brought a gift with us from the trip here." She began, Denko taking that as his cue to remove the carcass from his shoulders and set it on the large boulder between them. The chief looked at the corpse, nodded, and waved for Krilin to continue. All the while his eyes kept moving from one figure before him to another while his face remained unreadable.

"We've come here to ask for your help to fight the army in the valley below." Krilin continued, preferring the blunt approach.

"I've noticed them." His voice was deep and rough, almost like the grinding of rocks.

"Then you've seen that we are far outnumbered and why we are asking you for help." Her tone was calm yet almost pleading.

For some time Bronzongi sat there silently watching them all. Something apparently caught his eyes as they widened a fraction. "Grugan!" He hollers, the sudden yell combined with the pure lungpower made the petitioners start and stumble.

Before the echoes ended nother ogre that was much smaller than the chief and not much bigger than the children, ran to his leader and stood to his side. There was a short exchange of words in their own language between the two with a few subtle gestures and more than a few glances at their guests. Grugan soon left quickly and the chief seemed pensive as he sat and watched the four smaller beings in front of him.

"You have the sign from Malak, but you must prove yourself." Bronzongi stated as the sound of two pairs of heavy footsteps came closer. "If you can beat Krunra we will help you."

Krunra turned out to be a young Ogre yet tall and powerfully built, likely the chief's sone. At his side was Grugan who moved to stand by his leader. Their opponent stood in a small clearing while some of the other ogres took notice and began to gather around in a loose ring.

"Hey Nora?" Denko asks.

"Yes?" She was starting to grin.

"Looks like this is your territory." Denko smirks as he eyed the two warhammers Krunra wielded, though with his size they should really be considered maces.

Nora grinned like the madwoman that everyone knew her to be as she stepped forward while hefting her own massive hammer from her back. Chief Bronzongi lifted a large stone from the ground next to him and waited as the two fighters sized each other up. It was almost funny with how much the Nord gave up in height to her opponent, only coming up to his waist. To his credit, Krunra didn't seem to be taking her lightly, likely due to her weapon being bigger than his own, instead he lifted his weapons into a position that would allow an easy change to offence or defense.

Bronzongi threw his stone between them.

The moment it hit the dirt, Krunra stomped the ground with a yell and a flaring of magicka that caused a boulder to jut up under the girls' feet nearly as large as the ogre who summoned it. Nora proved to be light on her feet as she jumped backwards in time for the rock to miss damaging her but showering her with dust.

With a wild grin and a yell, Nora cast a Surge to empower her arms and ran at her opponent. He swung his maces in response, hitting nothing but air as the girl used her small frame to duck and twist out of their paths. Nora used her spinning momentum to bring Magnihild around in a wide arc within the ogres' guard and slammed the head into his stomach. The resulting impact sent the far larger fighter off his feet and land on his back. His right hand dropped its weapon to hold his gut, the leathers and furs covering the area seemed to do nothing to soften the blow.

The Nord simply styed where she was and now dropped her hammer over her shoulders with a victorious grin on her face. The audience had varied reactions: Yang and Denko were unsurprised, Krilin couldn't believe that such a small girl held so much physical power, and the chief's eyes widened considerably upon seeing his son smacked around so easily.

Bronzongi climbed to his feet, easily twice Yang's height, and looked down on them all- quite literally. He walked over to Krunra who was starting to rise to his feet while still trying to get his breathing under control, and easily lifted him upright by the arm. The elder was still head and shoulders taller than the youth.

"We'll help you." The Chief declares as he walks back to his tent and sits again.

"Glad to hear it. Thank you." Denko was sincere in his words as he bowed and the Ogre nodded in return.

Krilin turned to the youths, "Alright, I'm going to stay here and work out some details. You kids go and keep yourselves out of trouble. I'll meet you at the entrance in an hour."

"That was fun! Maybe we could have a rematch?" Nora was her usual perky self as she asked Krunra. For his part, he was obviously confused but her sincerity spoke for itself, he smiled and nodded with a grunt.

"Here's your weapons." Yang held both of his war-hammers in one hand, arm outstretched for the taller being.

"Thanks." Krunra replies as he takes his weapons, confused as to how such small girls -human girls- could be so strong. He'd fought far larger human and Orc men who struggled with the weight of their weapons, always counting on the weight on the point of contact to make up for lack of skill. The few with the skill that had been able to hit him never even came close to the power that the little Nord just did. The only one to reliably knock him around like that was his own father, who was massive even by his own peoples' standards. Some in the camp said the chief's father was a giant but he never confirmed or denied the claim.

He had some thinking and training to do but if such powerful people were asking for his help in a fight, he'd follow them knowing Molak would be at his back.

Wandering the camp, the three watched as the various Ogres went about daily life. They were a mixed bunch to be sure, many seemed to laying around or napping or cooking over fires. Off to the side away from any huts, a small group of Ogres were practicing magic. It looked rather primitive but it was simple and powerful with an emphasis on using the environment around the user. Where there was an abundance of rock they created spires of stone, smaller stones and gravel became eruptions of shrapnel, water formed geysers, grass and vines grew into snares and nets.

"Watch out if they use their magic in winter." Denko warns.

"Why's that?" Yang was quick to ask.

"They raise a pillar of ice that's so cold that it starts to freeze anything and anyone nearby."

"Freeze the enemy in their tracks, huh? Weiss does that a lot too."

"And that's why she's called the Ice Queen." Nora sang prompting the blondes to laugh.

Not far away is apparently a sparring ground where the current residents were tossing small boulders, grappling and punching each other, or swinging weapons at trees and rocks, mostly crude clubs.

"That looks fun!" The Nord was excited, apparently one fight wasn't enough for her yet.

"Maybe but we can play later." Yang pats the shorter girls' shoulder.

"We need them able to walk for the fights ahead of us." Denko warns her.

"I wasn't going to break their legs… maybe."

Krilin reunited with them later looking rather proud. She elaborated as they walked away from the Ogre camp. "Bronzongi is willing to fight with us but he wants some weapons and armor for his people. At least he agreed that it doesn't need to be anything fancy, we're pressed for time and basics are better than nothing." The Orc laughs. "Before we start your Breton friends plan, we'll send Shorty here with a few of our warriors with the stuff to them. That'll give them time to try the weapons and armor and pass on any further plans for the attack." Nora scoffed at being called Shorty.

"Sounds good but do you have the materials for that kind of order?" Denko as he looks over the valley to check the state of the Breton and Redguard fortifications. Nothing changed that could be seen from this distance.

"We have plenty stockpiled with the mine below the stronghold. Along with the leadership of the Forge-Wives we'll get it done. Now hurry up, we have another long day tomorrow and I need my sleep."

 **AN:** Surprise, surprise! A second chapter this week! I still hope that if anyone finds any lore that I may have gotten wrong that they will let me know in a review so it can be corrected. Same with spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm aiming for some quality here and this particular story is rather unique compared to others in this section as nearly every other story takes from The Elder Scrolls- Skyrim directly. Either mixing it up by throwing the RWBY crew into Tamriel or the Dovakin getting thrust to Remnant. It's hard trying to find the balance between keeping things ES true while incorporating RWBY characters as true to their original selves as possible.

Please let me know if I messed anything up or if you have suggestions for minor quests or hijinks for our heroes to undergo. If your idea is used you will have a shout out in the AN of the chapter.

Thanks for reading.


	9. Alliances

Empire Rising

Alliances

The next day…

"What are these goblins like?" Nora had been switching between softly singing to herself or babbling in such a rapid-fire pace combined with changing topics and moods that it was rare for anyone to truly understand what she was talking about, when they weren't tuning her out.

"Are you sure she's not Sheogorath?" Krilin asks Yang as they climbed a hill.

"We're pretty sure she isn't but we're also pretty sure that he likes her." The tall blonde answers as she hauls herself over a boulder before turning and helping the Orc. Denko reached their level after a series of jumps from other boulders while the Nord scrambled over the rocks fast enough that one may have thought she teleported.

"Hey Nora?" Denko calls out from behind a large boulder he'd just walked around.

"Yeah?"

"Remember when you asked what they goblins are like?"

"Yeah…?"

"I found your answer."

Nora was quick to see, shortly followed by Krilin. There they found Denko standing with his hands in the air as a goblin at least as tall as Jaune held a spear at his chest. By its side were two smaller, more average sized of the green skinned and hunch shouldered beings. One with an iron helmet of Nord design- horns included- holding a pair of axes that had seen better days, the other had a bow slung over its back, a steel knife in hand that was ready to be coated in something from the several pouches around its waist. The only armor any of them wore was old leather wrapped around their torsos with some strips wrapped around their limbs for protection.

Unfortunately for Denko the appearance of the Orc and Nord made the goblins even more agitated, if their increased mutterings and yelling were any indication from the silence they had before. As if the spear point poking him uncomfortably hard certainly said enough. He was just rather glad that he had made such good armor.

While Krilin and Nora had frozen at the sight as to not provoke the goblins further, a certain blonde brawler had taken another path around the rock, out of sight of the goblins who were focused on their captive and her two companions. They only noticed Yang when she kicked a pebble behind them.

At that time she was already in mid-punch, the one with the helm took the fist to the jaw where the force bashed his face against the rock next to the Bosmer. The big one didn't have time for anything as a right hook dropped him on top of the bowman.

The spear scratched the Bosmer's armor but left him otherwise unharmed. The dagger wielding goblin fared worse as his kinsman fell on him, the impact disarming the smaller creature a it was pinned by the far greater weight.

Now that the threat was neutralized Nora was quick to kick the dagger away from the goblins searching hand before making sure the big one couldn't get up by grabbing one of his arms and putting a boot on his back. Krilin rolled the helm bearer over and placed her staff on its chest, not that it was going anywhere fast if it was as dazed as it looked.

Ruby was in her element as she helped to forge the fittings that she needed for her project. Sure she was doing a rushed job, by her own standards, but things were going well enough. Weiss was being kept busy at the small alchemy setup mixing up various compounds. Some were to help with Ruby's project, others were to help Jaune and the Orc Wisewomen and healers care for the injured. Sure there weren't too many that were hurt now but it was more for the future.

Blake and Ren spent their time scouting the enemy encampment and reporting their findings to the Chief's and Jaune so they may adjust their plan as needed. Pyrrha kept herself occupied assisting Ruby in the project by cutting the wood as directed. They had spent most of the past day drawing up the plans and taking stock of what they had available. Sure, Ruby was kind of relegated to one small corner of the forge to craft what she needed, at least the Forge-Wife whose name she had forgotten, who had been assigned to watch over her to make sure she even knew what she was doing. Thankfully Ruby had gotten used to how fast the furnace heated the metal and where the tools were, she had not trouble and so by dinner time last night she had earned her way to not being supervised.

While the girl was nervous about the plan, she was still excited about building her part of it. She was even getting a small team of the younger Orsimer to assist her for when the plan was to be initiated. The ringing of hammers on metal was almost music to her ears as she glanced at the group that was working on large weapons and armor for the Ogres.

Even after her sister had told her what had happened it was hard to believe. They were getting help from Ogres. Ogres! Sure, she hadn't seen any in person, it was a little hard to find any living things when you hole yourself in a Dwemer ruin for months on end. Not to mention that Ogres were extremely rarely seen in Morrowind, even before Red Mountain erupted.

But the Ogres were staying in their camp on the northern mountain, it actually worked in favor of Jaune's plan anyway. All they had to do was send the goods up to them when the time was close. She couldn't wait to see them fight.

A few hours later two humans, two mer, and three goblins arrived in a rocky valley. Various boulders jutted from the ground, a few small patches of grass surrounded the sparse trees in the area. In this valley goblins ruled and this was the meeting spot for the three tribes that called the region home. Dozens of them looked down on them from their vantage points on the boulders, others sat on smaller rocks and logs at the bottom. The few actual chairs and benches were taken by the Chief's under their own awnings on raised platforms.

"What're you doing here?" The central chief demands, at his side sat a large spider as if it were a dog, petting included.

"We came to ask for your help." Krilin replies. That single sentence set the entire valley into an uproar. Denko noted the slight delay of reactions as the few goblins who could understand the common Cyrodillic language translated for those who couldn't and those words were passed in a frenzy.

The chatter continued for a few minutes before the banging of a gong grabbed everyone's attention. Said gong was in the possession of a female goblin wearing intricate armor, interesting to look at with its geometric patterns yet it looked functional. Next to her was probably her mate, dressed in full heavy armor with the same patterns that adorned hers.

The armored male spoke, "What do you need our help for? You big strong Orcs can fight anyone."

"I'm sure your scouts have told you about the army attacking us. We are strong and proud of it but not stupid or too proud to ask for help when needed." The old orcs reply was steady, almost rehearsed.

"Why should we help you?" The huge chief asks. That one could be mistaken for a large Orc or a young Ogre with his sheer size. Riveted belts covered his body as armor, some held large plates of metal, others had the leather or fabric dyed in a variety of colors. The odd collection made it difficult to judge his true size without a reference nearby.

"What about the fact that if you were just about anywhere else on Nirn, none of your tribes would be left alone. The people like those in that army down there hunt your kind down for sport. The best you might have being near them would be living in their sewers.

It was my clan and our allies that came to you as equals, we set out our territories so that we can all live in peace. Our peoples have had no trouble since then except that we now have an army at our gates. They see the Orsimer unifying as a threat but don't even consider you as worth their time. Sure, maybe if they try tracking down any of us who may try to run and come across your tribes. They'll just do what they've always done and slaughter you all then and enjoy it. The only clan that's likely to be left alone by those men are the Ogres in the north, but they've already decided to help us.

So we are asking for your help, we don't have the numbers and we can't wait them out in our stronghold." Krilin's speech echoed through the rocky valley. It was eerily quiet with so many living beings around not making a sound aside from the light crunching of gravel as the elder turned to her companions, sweeping her hand towards them.

"Or do you think that the champions of Malacath aren't enough for you!" She raised her voice at the chiefs but had her staff pointed at Yang, specifically the crest she bore.

Each of the goblin chiefs were quick to turn to their shamans, speaking in hushed tones. Many of the other goblins in the valley weren't so quiet, the four outsiders stood silently even if they believed that the Redguard/Breton camp could hear the chatter. Krilin was the first to notice the runners between the chiefs, realying their questions and opinions to the others. For the other three, it was a bit of a surprise to see such organization from the race as it was far from what they were used to. After what felt like a hour the gong rang and the valley became silent.

"We will fight for you." The Venom-Fang chief says clear and loud to the assembled crowd. Relief swept through the petitioners. "But Maluk demands you prove your strength if you want us to follow. Fight and win, we will help. Lose or run and we will watch you die."

"Those are some great choices, eh?" Denko comments as a trio of goblins approach, ready for combat.

"I'll take 'em on!" Yang declares as she marches towards the warriors. "Besides, I'm raring for a fight and they really gotta listen if they lose three on one."

"Can't argue with that." Nora remarks as they made room for the fighters, watching as the blonde stretched and rolled her shoulders.

In the few moments after the gong rang to start, the fight was over. The smallest and least armored goblin launched a fireball that struck Yang head on only for one of her maces to fly out and catch the mage in the stomach hard enough to throw him back a few paces.

The giant goblin charged the fading embers and swung his great-sword that was stopped dead with a metallic clang. The human had raised her other mace and braced it with her gauntlet to absorb the blow. With a smirk and a small yell, she spun to push the large blade away and used the momentum to connect her mace with his shoulder.

Yang rained several strong blows against the taller and more heavily armored fighter before it could counter with an over-head chop that sank the blade into the dirt. The girl had moved during the wind up and swung her fist into his face, his grip on the sword slackened and his body crumbled to the ground.

The third goblin had used the distraction to climb to a nearby ledge and nocked an arrow, waiting for his opponent to stop moving. She paused after knocking out his larger kin to look for him, he released the arrow. Her left gauntlet raised to take the attack where the projectile crumbled on impact. Instinctually he readied for another shot but paused as the smirking girls gauntlet shifted form a bit before she drew her arm back. He notched the arrow and raised the bow.

Her arm thrust forward and a red bolt was launched from her arm that struck the boulder by his feet. The resulting explosion threw him off the rock while being pelted by rock shrapnel until he hit the hillside before rolling to the valley floor by his opponent's feet. His arrow lodged itself into a tree on the other side.

"That good enough for ya Chief's?" Yang calls out as she flips her hair over her shoulder. Their response was to nod numbly after watching some of their best being taken down so easily and quickly.

As she picked up her mace from next to the wheezing goblin, she cast a simple healing spell on him, allowing her former opponent to breathe easier before walking back to her friends. Now that the action was over most of the assembled goblins had dispersed for their own daily lives. Meanwhile Krilin moved to speak with the Chief's and their shamans to work out details, leaving the three youths to loiter on a rock ledge.

"What did you think of them?" Denko asks around a bite of jerky.

"As fighters?" Yang paused as she nibbled on her own strip. "Not too bad really, better than most of the goblins I've fought for the Guild."

Both of them did their best to ignore Nora holding court with some younger tribe members as she gave an exaggerated retelling of the fight, complete with sound effects. Somehow she had worked pastries into the fight. Just another day really, the goblins were a new touch.

Krilin dropped heavily onto a nearby rock with a groan. "I'm getting too old for this, tusk it all."

"Are ya okay?" Denko asks the elder.

"I'll be fine after a short rest. Just hope that this mess will be over soon. Maybe I'll find a beach somewhere to relax until I die." She sighs as she looked over the valley.

"You, Blondie, will be coming back here with a couple of our men to deliver some weapons and armor. Of course you'll be in charge of making sure they follow the plan your Breton friend made and lead them into battle." Her staff was pointed at the golden brawler.

"I can handle it." Yang was confident.

"Good, you'll be coordinating with the goblins while Shortstack works with the Ogres… I'll be sure to have one of the men I send with her knows everything." The Nord was still chattering away with her audience.

Denko laughs, "This will be interesting."

In the next days the stronghold was bustling with activity as Ruby's project came together, the forge was being run around the clock, and the healers were making sure everyone was as healthy as possible. Blake, Ren and Kree where usually out scouting the enemy fortifications and patrols. Nora and Yang left the stronghold with five warriors each two days before the plan was to be initiated, each of them loaded up with hastily crafted but sturdy weapons and armor along with their own supplies for their stay in the other camps.

The next day Ren, Denko, and Blake left the safety of the stronghold and scattered themselves around the Redguard/Breton fortification. Ren took the northern side, Blake the south, leaving Denko the western side. They concealed themselves into the landscape to wait until darkness had long settled over the land.

Tomorrow the plan will be enacted. Tonight, they prepared themselves with getting as much rest as possible and prayers to the gods. Some made bets and promises. Tomorrow held no guarantees but that it would be hectic.

 **AN:** It's been over a year since I first started this story and I'm finally really posting somewhat regularly. That being said, I'm sorry that this chapter is so short compared to the usual content chapters, this one being only a few hundred words longer than the weapons and armor chapter. This is due mostly to the difficulty of finding a good place to break up the chapters, the next one will be a lot of action. As for shout-outs this week... no new followers or favorites but I did get a review.

JessesanMan- Thank you for the review. I've never played D&D so I'm a little lost on your reference. However yes the first chapter is a little confusing, it is a first person view of the central character who can often get lost in thoughts. As for not seemingly like the thoughts of a real person... let's just say that my own head isn't any better, it's actually far more confusing. It's the only head I can get into and the only one I know so my options are a bit limited. Please keep this in mind if you go through this story again, it pulls out of first person to third person by chapter three.

As for a beta reader or editors... if anyone would like to volunteer or recommend one I'm open to the idea.

Just for future reference, **Of Elder Scrolls and Huntsmen: Dragon Rose** by **JessasanMan** , and **Land of My Fathers** by **Uhtred of Bebbanburg** were the primary inspirations to start this while some of the real story style was inspired by **SkyStrider**. If anyone was interested. But of course there is my own spin on the world.

For those who might be wondering about how far I have written out, without giving any details away the gang has set sail from Daggerfall about two weeks ago. So if I maintain this pace of updates... we'll probably get there later in spring. Roughly the same time when I'm sure I'll be busy with work, family, and projects.


	10. Infiltration and Preparations

Empire Rising

Infiltration and Preperations

Ren, Denko, and Blake had left the Orc stronghold to find gaps in the enemy defenses. Ren had chosen to take the northern side with Denko choosing the west. That left Blake with the southern walls to infiltrate. Inside they were to silence any high-ranking soldiers they could find, and set up any distractions they could before sunrise and the sky was already growing slightly brighter in the east.

The three of them, being the stealthiest of their group, had decided that now would be the best time to get their jobs done. The guard was light and all were tired. Almost everyone else besides the morning cooks were asleep.

Blake had found a commander's tent during her scouting as well as a hole in the wall nearby, one that was large enough for her to squeeze through. As she made her way inside, she couldn't stop a funny thought. 'I bet Weiss and Ruby wouldn't have as much trouble getting through but Yang would need a lot of adjusting to make it.' She smiled at the mental image.

The man's snoring was light but she had heard him complain about his breathing when he was woken by a hacking cough. This was likely his last campaign before retiring. 'This will be his last. I'll do about anything to help my friends.'

She slipped under the tent flaps without a sound and stalked her way to his bedside where she opened a small vile. Three drops were dripped into his mouth and the vial was sealed again. The khajiit retreated from the tent towards a new target through the shadows unnoticed by the weary night guards. Inside the tent, the commander fell into a deeper sleep, soon he'd never wake again. But at least he went to Aetherius peacefully.

In another tent a single soldier managed to wake up before Blake could administer the poison but was dispatched by the Khajiit's instinctual use of her claws to his neck. Along the wall she found a patrolman taking a nap in a shadowed corner on a chair. A single stab from her sword into his back and up into his lungs made sure he'd never leave his shadowy respite.

It was moments like this that she appreciated the Shrouded Armor she had received upon joining the Dark Brotherhood. Better protection and lighter than her old leathers, form fitting to avoid snags- Yang had a few comments about how form fitting it was and catching eyes-, enchanted to keep her already quiet steps silent. She personally considered it a bonus when Denko allowed her to alter the armor by replacing the guilds symbol with her family emblem while also dyeing the leather from red to a dark purple.

The black and purple colors and her own black mane and tail fur made it easy for her to hide in the shadows, barring her amber eyes which would sometimes catch the light to seemingly glow. With all of that going for her she managed to silence five more before the signal flared.

Ren slit the throat of a Redguard private, maintaining his usual silence and aloofness. He was the only living person within the tent, seven bodies lay on their bedrolls as he calmly cleaned his dagger before exiting.

He remembered his parent's lessons about Boethiah and Mephala. His own training in his early years had found his niche as a spy or assassin for his hometown, training he had barely started before his small home town was destroyed. But after finding Nora who was just a child hiding in fear under a wagon, with his family dead and home lost they'd traveled together to eventually join the Fighters Guild. Sure, at their young age they didn't really get to go on jobs for years but during that time they were glorified servants but they had learned the skills that kept them alive to today. He still heavily relied on stealth but had learned more about direct combat, from the tutors and experience- he focused on his agility to overwhelm his opponents leaving Nora to deal with raw power.

All of that had served him well over the years and especially now in the largest engagement he'd ever taken part in. Still despite his calm demeaner in this dangerous situation, his mind kept wandering to Nora who would be leading a clan of Ogres into battle. He couldn't stop the smile as a memory of one of her more outlandish dreams is actually coming true.

Just as he was about to leave the tent, he heard approaching footsteps. He managed to step to the side as the person barged into the tent, completely missing the Dunmer a few hands away. Ren could guess that she was a high-ranking officer based on her more decorative armor, possibly a general. Said officer was took a deep breath to yell at her soldiers when the light of her lantern caught the blood on the ground.

A quick glance round and she found all of who were supposed to be here, most having never moved from their beds, one looked to have been killed as he was getting up, and the last bore injuries indicating he'd fought back. Her hand moved to the sword at her waist but never had the opportunity to even grip it as a sharp dagger plunged into her skull from behind. Her body was quietly lowered to the ground and the light extinguished. The green-clad Dunmer faded into the dark even as the sun began to rise over the horizon.

On a whim Denko had chosen to wear the Bending Ring tonight, soon finding that her option for entering the camp was a hole that would have been too narrow for her natural forms' shoulders. Wriggling her way through the hole proved tricky as it was set high enough that only Jaune and Pyrrha would be tall enough to look through it. Which of course meant that the Bosmer would have to jump to even look if it was clear of guards inside. Doing so in this even shorter female form was almost a task in itself.

Honestly her infiltration looked more like a comedy act if anyone was watching. Having to run and jump to get her arms through just to pull herself in only to find her hips getting wedged. Trying to free herself while staying silent was an exercise in frustration as she had no way to gain leverage with her legs dangling outside. Of course, fate seemed to spite her as a patrol came by, though not before the Bosmer cast a chameleon spell over herself in time- thankful she had taken the time to learn to cast her spells silently.

Her luck seemed to drained dry as the patrol had to stop and lean on the wall on either side of her to talk. She was willing to bet a hefty amount of gold that Sheogorath was watching and laughing his ass off. Even Haskil was likely cracking a smile at the scene.

'Damn it!' Denko yells in her mind as she was in no position to reach her weapons, let alone to use them. Blasting the two idiots with magic would likely draw attention that she really didn't need right now and wouldn't help her out of the hole. Said idiots were passing a bottle of some rather strong drink between themselves. While it was a possibility that the two would pass out soon from the alcohol and they'd be of little issue to deal with normally, this situation is far from normal.

'Then again, two able-bodied idiots who happen to be drunk could be useful.'

She let the spell run its course and faded back into view. Noting that she was still unnoticed she took the moment to pull her hood back and slip the attached mask under her chin. She sighed as she had to swallow her pride.

"Hey boys?" Denko called softly, her words got their attention quick enough and they jumped away from the wall and turned around.

"Who're you?" The one on the right asks, one hand on his sword hilt. His buddy was already leering, who knows how much of it was due to being drunk, an idiot, or uncontrolled lust. The thought brought shivers down her spine and made her prefer the sword far more.

"The -ehem- Captain called for me to help him relax a little. I thought I'd surprise him a bit but as you can see," Denko was honest for this part as she wiggled a little for emphasis, "I got stuck." The two guards shared a glance as they weren't sure what to make of the story but she did look stuck to them.

The first guard removed his hand from his blade as he took a step closer to inspect the Bosmer. "What's with the armor if you're here to help the Captain 'relax'?"

'He sure sobers up fast. Probably how he gets away with drinking on the job.' A giggle from the leering idiot got her attention. 'Of course, having a fall man nearby would help.' Denko was still quick to answer. "Well… he does like the little soldier act and besides, there's a bunch of big Orcs out there. It never hurts to have a little protection around brutes, does it?"

"Should we get the Captain?" Number one asks. "She's not going anywhere."

"She did say she was 'ere to s'prise 'im." Number two slurs.

Number one looks back and forth at the two before making a decision. "Hmm… fine. We'll get you out but we'll take you to the Captain ourselves. Got it?"

"Whatever gets me outta here." She comments. Number two approached with a giggle and flexing fingers. "And watch where you put your hands! I'm not afraid of cutting off fingers before the Captain comes for your heads." She warns.

Number one took the hint and made his friend hold her hands to support her while he lifted Denko around the middle and turned her a little to fit through. In a few moments the Bosmer was free and on the ground on her own feet trying to massage her hips through the armor.

"Thanks guys." Denko was sincere about being thankful but she had a job to do, a little more acting would make things easier. It wasn't hard for the blush of embarrassment to be seen as the situation was already was and she was a bit flushed from being stuck hanging in a wall. She looked to the side, "Um… how about a little kiss for getting me outta there and the Captain never has to know?" The Bosmer asks with a hand by her chin.

Number two practically jumped at the chance to be showed any form of affection by a cute girl and leaned down so his face was level with hers. Number one hesitated a bit before following suite.

"Remember, no peeking so you can be honest that you never saw a thing!" Denko teased as she raised her hands to cup their chins, gently holding them steady. Both men closed their eyes, the Bosmer's smile dropped and shadows solidified in her hands, the men's brains were pierced before the blades took full form and just s quickly the blades lost cohesion and the men fell to the ground. Two more souls for the Void.

She felt sick for manipulating them like that- direct combat, a poison arrow, slitting a throat from the shadows, all of that Denko has sone and could deal with easily enough. Toying with emotions… she could do without, especially the disgusted feeling that followed. She needed to move, get away from the physical reminders. She spent too much time getting inside with little to show for it with the signal coming at any minute.

Three nearby tents were cleared of life in as many minutes. Now there was a catapult in front of her…

Jaune was crouched behind one of the many large boulders that littered the Wrothgar landscape. He and about thirty Orcs including Chief Koralg to be exact. Some of the warriors were getting impatient waiting for the signal, others took the time to relax. They were free to do so as long as they were quiet and stay out of sight.

Weiss and Pyrrha were both in separate groups scattered across the tundra hidden behind their own rock piles with an Orc Chief. So far there was no indications that they were spotted and no signs that their infiltrators were found yet.

As far as he could tell the plan he'd made up was going well but things were still early and there was always the possibility of many unknowns. One of his biggest worries was if the Redguards and Bretons had any elite soldiers or powerful mages. His plan did address that though, if such fighters and spell casters would appear on the battlefield, the Chief's and his own group were to seek them out, even in the midst of battle and either delay or defeat them.

Jaune was an honest man, he'd learned his limits back when he first joined up with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. He has gotten better between training with them, the Fighters Guild, and experience but any of his friends could still beat his hide into the ground. He simply took it as a point of pride that he'd gotten to the point where they really had to work for that victory.

What they did find during their adventures was that he had a great tactical mind and leadership skills, trusting his friends to take care of themselves when he gave orders to direct them to where they'd have the greatest effect for their skills. In just over a year they'd honed themselves into a great unit. Pyrrha's unrivaled skills, Nora's surprising strength, Ren's speed and stealth, combined with Jaune's mind and extraordinary durability had taken them far. This battle would test their limits.

Weiss would have preferred to be holed up in a library or performing experiments. Instead she was preparing to take on an army. At least she had one of her own and her friends by her side. She couldn't honestly say that she didn't like combat.

The meticulous training, planning out the exercises and schedules. Finding the ideal weapon or weapons for the individual, balancing that with their own natural skills, training new skills into the fighter whether it be with spell or weapon. The rush experienced while in combat, the joy of a victory, overcoming the negativity of defeat. The planning required to deal with various opponents- how one deals with a battle-axe wielding Nord when fighting an Argonian armed with a single dagger. How does one fight a master of Destruction magic? An opponent hidden among the foliage of a forest.

That's not including fighting multiple enemies, with an arsenal of weapons, skill levels, their armor. What is the terrain? The weather? The condition of those in combat?

So many variables to take into account all at once and acting on them. Experience and training making the body act as needed even as the mind was focused on studying the opponents every move, their form, the weapon in hand, looking for gaps in their armor…

Perhaps she could write a book on the subject, it would probably turn into a series in short order if she had a few weeks to research and consult with battle-masters, weapon experts, generals… A possible project she could look into later. Maybe she had something in her personal library to get started after the battle if they survived. No, it would be when they won.

She could plan out her pet projects later, not that she didn't have enough on her plate as it was but she did enjoy keeping busy. On the bright side, thinking about all of this did pass the time. The signal should be set soon. Weiss looked over at the massive Orc next to her, Chief Granog, who's arms looked like they weighed as much as she does, each. The man was rather quiet, which she didn't mind. But at least when it came to fight, she'd know that she had someone who could take care of themselves. The rest of the troops could watch each other's backs.

Pyrrha was calm. Chief Kiln sat next to her watching the Altmer taking steady breaths where she sat in the early morning darkness. Orcs were normally loud and excitable before a battle but the presence of the young warrior seemed to keep them calm and focused. It certainly helped them stay out of notice of the enemy encampment as the plan required.

They had seen the level of skill that the High Elf had with a blade during the few small spars they had back in the stronghold. Granted they were using simple wooden swords but Pyrrha had out performed anyone who challenged her. She could match the strength of many of the warriors, few could keep up with her speed, only one could match her skill, but none could defeat her in the end.

The light of the sun grew brighter and Pyrrha opened her bright green eyes. A few small stretches where she sat helped her ready herself for the fight ahead. Many of the warriors with them followed suit. Yet despite the calm they all displayed, the desire for the excitement of a good fight was nearly palpable.

Yang was bored. Sure, she had a few fights with the goblins to pass the time she was with them, even giving them some training in proper use of their weapons, but the past two days were a steep learning curve for her dealing with the Goblins.

While as a whole they were primitive but they were diverse as individuals, not even counting tribal traditions. The Iron Head clan had apparently been used as slave labor in the mountains to the south for mining and smelting. At some point they had learned to forge weapons and armor themselves, eventually smuggling materials to forge their own crude weapons and armor and revolted against their masters. They took over the entire operation, spared the few who showed them kindness in their slavery, and reversed the roles on their former masters, making them work for their freedom.

When the mine ran dry the goblins left with their new skills, plenty of supplies from dismantling most of infrastructure, loaded up most of the armor, weapons, and tools into as many carts that they could find or build and headed north to find a new location to set up shop on their own terms. It was them who provided most of the new arms and armor to the horde she was to lead.

The Skull Crush tribe had an easier story to share. Descendants of the giant goblins that had called the Alik'r Desert their home until the Regada Invasion. They were the last of all of the goblins from that time, the survivors of the various tribes who banded together, putting aside all past grudges between tribes in favor of their common enemy. Eventually they became one tribe. They could never reclaim their ancestral homes and so they'd attack the Redguards whenever they came near the tribes' territory. Eventually the Redguards sent an army to wipe them out only to find an empty camp, their shaman had foreseen the attack and they had moved preferring life over a last stand. Needless to say that they were among the most anxious for the coming fight.

The Venom Fang tribe is an offshoot from the Shadowsilk goblins from Morrowwind. Their tribe merely got too large due to their success that some of them left for new territory, bringing their pet spiders along. They settled in Wrothgar but during their travels they had discovered a love for toxins. That being the case they developed their own alchemy to create antidotes, medicines, and other potions that they could sell and trade, mostly with the local Orcs or the occasional traveling merchant. They had quickly learned to raise their own gardens and keep a menagerie of animals with a variety of toxins.

In short, the goblins had plenty of history and made Yang think, how many had she killed over the past few years, usually for profit, but had always been taught and trained to enjoy ending their lives. Like they were no more than rats that could wield weapons, scavengers that would take any opportunity to attack and kill innocent people- inhuman monsters that were best dead and forgotten.

They were living thinking beings with souls, just like her. They had their own lives, families, jobs in their tribes. Like her and everyone and everyone else she knew and cared about.

Even as she sat on the mountainside overlooking the soon to be battlefield, she resolved herself to never taking pleasure in killing another goblin. Yang knew that never fighting or killing goblins was unlikely unless she gave up fighting for good. "Yeah right!" It was too much of what made her Yang Xiao Long! But she could control herself far better than the world around her so if and when she next killed a goblin there would be no pleasure in it anymore.

She roused herself from her thoughts as the enemy camp began to glow in the morning light. Her goblin allies prepped themselves for the battle to come. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the signal, then she and the chiefs would lead their army.

Nora was having a great time with the Ogres. They lived off the land, somewhat reminding her of her childhood but they still had their families. She enjoyed the competitions of strength, talking with the few who had learned to speak in Cyrodillic, helping them to expand their vocabulary by talking with them, learning more about their style of magic, and showing them the best ways to swing a hammer.

A massive two-way learning experience and cultural exchange would sum up their time together. Doing it all in the two days before a big fight? It kept the hyperactive Nord from doing anything too crazy, by Nora Valkyrie standards, which are still crazy by nearly anyone else's standards.

Now she sat on a rock looking over the valley with Bronzongi next to her, passing the time humming a song that they made up as they went. It was an odd duet that grew as other Ogres joined in, even the Orcs that were with them added their voices. The Chief only paused to tell the clan to keep their voices down, but that they could sing as loud as they want on their way to battle.

A new tradition was born for the ogres.

Ruby Rose was tired. She'd been awoken far earlier than she'd like but some hot food and drink got her going. Of course, checking on her project that she designed and helped build over the past few days helped to pass the time. She and her team of Orc craftsmen managed to finish this one and built half of another along with exactly forty-seven bolts for the ballistae, and three special bolts to serve as the signal for today.

The weapon was just as good as it was last night when she gave it a full inspection. For her standards it was somewhat crude. If she had the time and materials, she'd have made it mobile, have proper sights -a magnifying scope if possible with a range finder, an automatic reloading mechanism, maybe some shields that could be raised in case of a counter attacks, some magical enchantments, a paint job… It was functional and that's what was needed. Her team was keeping occupied by trying to assemble the second ballistae. Two of them were with her, one to maintain a watch on the enemy fortifications, the other was a young girl who'd effectively become Ruby's apprentice with her knack of understanding the plans the Imperial had drawn up.

Said apprentice was currently stacking up the small crates that held the ammunition. The special bolts were in the sole red painted crate. The crates were far enough away that they could walk around the weapon unimpeded but close enough that an extra step was all that was needed to reach them.

"Less than five minutes Ruby!" The watchman warns her.

She ends her final inspections with a sigh. "Thanks, Nintor. Lily, prep Red One." Ruby starts adjusting the angle on the ballistae with the sight and mental calculations. Nintor and one of the men began cranking the firing mechanism into position.

While it was true that Ruby had tested the weapon but that was at a hastily constructed target at fairly close range. She had an idea of how powerfully it could launch the bolts thanks to the test shots but a field test would be the final decider on its effectiveness today.

Lily loaded Red One, the large bolt was thicker than the regular ones due to the contents within. The ammunition got its name due to the red paint that covered the shaft that also helped to seal the contents inside. The white feather fletchings were a nice touch. The regular bolts had black paint on the shafts to set them apart.

Ruby sent one of her helpers to the chief left behind to manage the strongholds defenses, Chief Fronrir, to inform him that it was time.

The sun rose high enough to reach beyond the Orcs mountain and illuminated the wooden gates that protected the Redguard and Breton army.

A final check of the wind and angle of the weapon.

Ruby took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

 **AN: Another shorter chapter, sorry about that. And that's after I managed to squeeze a few hundred words in from my original draft. Didn't help me much that this was meant to be the end of the chapter before things heat up. So we get a cliffhanger to hold us over until the next chapter.**

 **A little late but Volume 7 was one hell of a ride, every time you thought you knew how something was going to go, it went for a loop. And ending on Salem leading an invasion... now October can't come fast enough to see how that turns out.**

 **Back to Empire Rising- I'd like to know if you guys would like me to rewrite chapter one. It is the only outlier in this story as it is the only one in first person but I don't think it kept it very well. Granted it was inspired by another first person Elder Scrolls story and was started before I even had the inspiration to add RWBY elements to the story.**

 **I'm also looking for input** (not Jonny 5) **for things for the gang to spice things up. Side quests and such as the Elder Scrolls love to throw at us at every turn. So why not let Denko, RWBY, and JNPR have some? Seeing as I'm asking for community support in this aspect, leave a review or PM me with your idea(s). Anyone who's ideas are used will get credit in the AN.**

 **See you next time!**


	11. Knock-Knock

Empire Rising

Knock-knock

"Hey."

"What?"

"What are we doing?"

"What do you mean? We're standing guard in case the Orcs attack."

"No! I mean what are we doing here? We're in the ass end of nowhere where its cold even in summer, everything out here tries to kill us from bugs to livestock and people, and no night life for entertainment."

"No kidding? What did you expect when you joined the army? Some easy guard duty for some no-name noble?"

"No way! Too much standing around doing nothing."

"Like what we're doing now?"

"No, what we're doing now is standing around and bullshitting while pretending to do our jobs for the army."

"Hmmm…. Fair point. Maybe you should look that way for a bit while I look this way so it looks better."

"I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Nice sunrise today."

"Yeah…"

"…"

"Hey, now that I'm looking at it, the Orcs could attack us while we're blinded by the sun. We'd never see it coming!"

THUD!

Looking down from their platform to see a large red bolt from a siege weapon sunk deeply into the wooden gate. The two shared a look as the projectile began to smoke. They backed away slowly even as other soldiers began to yell about it piercing the gate.

"Y'know what? Screw this shit."

"Yeah, run and live to fight another day sounds good to me."

"Run and live? Sure. Fight? I'll pass."

"Run on the count of three?"

"Okay" He begins moving.

"One…Two...Three!" He turns and starts running away and notices his friend far ahead of him. "Oh, son of a bitch!"

The red bolt explodes sending shrapnel, splinters, and entire logs that once were a gate flying in all directions. Nearly the entire upper half of the right gate door was now gone with the remaining half and the other door burning in some places.

The dual cry of "Son of a bitch!" could be heard moving away from the blast zone.

"You idiots! What're you running away for? Today is a good day to die! Griffon! Up front on the double!"

"Screw you Sarge!"

Sarge chases after the two with his crossbow ready in hand.

While mass confusion engulfed the camp near the gates, Orsimer archers and mages prepped themselves for the first volley. Nearly two dozen Breton and Redguards poured out of the gate dodging the small fires or stomping them out. At the same time another red bolt landed in the recently vacated watchtower. Anyone who had seen the first bolt began fleeing the area leaving men trying to put out the fires when the second bolt exploded, sending a wave of heat and debris onto the men who were barely dressed in clothes or armor. What was left of the ruined door fell to the ground nearly landing on some of the people outside. More of the army emerged and Jaune gave the signal.

While many of the arrows in the first volley didn't hit their intended targets, three men were felled, two more impaled by spears of ice, and four were caught in a fireball.

The hornet nest was kicked and now soldiers with shields were pouring out by the dozen, quickly arranging themselves in a defensive line that began to creep forward as more men and women accumulated in front of the burning gates with shields raised to block the now constant rain of arrows. Some of the magically gifted raised warding spells to mitigate the spells discharged at them.

Another red bolt streaked through the air and flew wide of the gate, striking the wall far to the left. Even when it exploded there seemed to be little reaction from the growing army. Small fires burned in the hole where some men were quickly responding and began to put out the flames.

It was then that the shield wall burst into motion, surging towards the Orcs despite the constant barrage of arrows and spells. Quivers emptied and the archers dropped their bows in favor of shields and drawing swords, maces, and axes.

Jaune gave a second call and the Orc army sprang from behind their cover and catching the enemy troops in multiple pincer attacks as the archers had served as bait to draw them into the killing field. With nearly all of the shields near the front of the lines there was little actual defense on the sides when the Orcs attacked.

Dozens were felled before the shock wore off and desperation for survival lit the fires in the Breton and Redguard forces. Their true advantage that was helping them were their sheer numbers over the Orcs as even now they matched the Pariah Folk three to one with more of their army still coming. The back half of their lines, who had been behind where the pincers had closed in, retreated and joined the ranks of more fresh troops as they still emptied out of the fortifications. The sight of their enemies overwhelming their scattered allies served to strengthen their resolve.

Behind the line of soldiers, several explosions could be heard, one of which had an obvious source as part of the wooden barricade erupted outward spewing flame and debris. Panicked yells came from all through the encampment even as more joined the ranks at the gate.

Inside Denko had found a few catapults, some still under construction and all no doubt to be used on the Orsimer gates. A stockpile of ammunition was nearby.

"Ain't that convenient? This should be interesting." She laughs lightly to herself as she begins to drag the ammo to the siege weapons as quickly and quietly as possible.

An explosion rent the main gate before the Bosmer could load the first catapult. The panicked yells could be heard ringing through the fortification, most of it concentrated near the gate but spread fast. Especially when dead bodies began to be found. Luckily the catapults were a bit away from the tents but not far enough away that she couldn't be easily seen.

With three catapults loaded and ready to fire and by now all three explosive bolts had been fired by Ruby, it was time to add some more chaos to the mix. A gout of flames lit the projectiles and a second burst lit up the firing mechanisms. Confident that they would fire on their own, Denko ran off to hit the back lines.

As soon as the first explosion rang out across the camp, Ren kept relatively still in the shadows trusting his innate ability to go unnoticed. That didn't stop him from eliminating anyone who came too close to his hiding spot. By the time Ruby's opening volley had ended he had five bodies neatly lined up nearby.

Just as he was considering moving to the ledges that ran near the top of the walls for patrols, Ren stopped to watch as three fireballs arced over the camp from the west. The first landed just short of the wall where it rolled into the structure and badly damaging the logs even as the enveloping flames spread everywhere around it.

The second smashed through the upper section of the wall leaving burning debris and a large hole. The third hit the bottom of the logs and broke through, it's flaming exit was small nonetheless. Ren quickly decided to vacate the area but stuck close to the northern wall. Bodies fell to the ground occasionally in his path.

In the quiet before the battle, Blake's ears perked as the low rumbling to the north. Dismissing it as thunder at first, its continuous rumble seemed to gain a pattern. Like a song.

Nora. The crazy girl must have gotten the Ogres to start singing somehow. Too bad that no one else was likely to hear it. The ensuing chaos brought on by the explosions drowned out the music.

Taking cover under a wagon, the cat-girl watched as three fireballs arced overhead. Judging the trajectory and that she could hear the creaking of the catapults, whoever did that was nearby. And given that the wall was hit she figured that it was a safe bet that it wasn't from their enemies and that Ren should be in that direction. So, Denko probably launched them. Couldn't see the wall from her position to see if or how much damage was done.

But now she should do something to take the pressure off of the Orcs. Setting fire to the food stores would be bad, the Orcs could use them to get through the winter. There was a small forge and armory nearby…

With no guards around, removal of the various weapons and armor was easy, anyone nearby was busy dealing with an atronach that Denko had summoned that she'd caught a glimpse of. Denko was likely nearby but out of her line of sight. For now, everything she could find and carry was loaded up in a cart and covered with a tarp. Even taking the time to secure the cart with some rope and stakes to make it that much harder for her enemies to claim it.

A soldier sneaked around a tent with the hope that his arrow would put down that Bosmer for good. He'd already saw her kill two of his friends, one of them owed him gold. The woman was engaged with three Bretons and a Redguard at the same time, her odd polearm in constant motion as she deflected strikes with apparent ease, even as she scored multiple hits against them leaving cuts from the blade or contusions from the shaft.

One of her opponents overreached and paid for it by losing his hand. He was quick to retreat and another soldier ran up to take his place, attempting to skewer the Bosmer with her spear. That spear was swatted aside and into the Reguards stomach, and in her shock she never had the opportunity to process her actions as she lost her head. The mace wielding Breton took a deep slash across his chest leaving the woman with daggers as the currently only remaining opponent.

The bowman drew and took aim, the Bosmer was catching her breath and watching the others that surrounded her. He never noticed the black sword approaching until it pierced his back. The arrow was released but flew over all combatants in the area and into the shadows. The blade withdrew and as he fell, the last thing he saw was the swish of a black furred tail as its owner attacked his allies.

Between the atronachs icy blows, Denko's whirling weapon, and Blake slipping in and out of shadows, the remaining thirty or so soldiers didn't last long, either killed or too injured to fight.

Despite her aversion to killing others, Pyrrha couldn't deny that combat was her element. Her shield deflecting attacks from mace and sword, her sword was a blur of red and gold as it stabbed, slashed, and parried. Occasionally she'd envelope her blade in magicka as she was trained to form the Aedric Spear. Said spear filled her area with it's golden light as she thrust and spun the deadly creation, throwing the glowing weapon at an enemy before reengaging with her physical blade.

The rush of excitement, the smell of sweat, the grunts and cries of exertion, the testing of her skills… she practically lived for it all.

The screams of pain and anguish, the smell of blood, the sight of those who'd never fight in this world again… she could do without. But for those she cared for, she'd do almost anything. So she killed when she had to and when possible she killed her enemies quickly so they wouldn't suffer any longer than needed.

Surrounded by enemies, dispatching them all quickly with her sword, spear, and shield and donned in armor, she may well have mantled Trinimac. Something that a few Orcs took notice of.

Meanwhile Weiss was acting as a force of nature itself, lobbing fireballs, occasional bolts of lightning, her sword moved through the air like a cold north wind as it found gaps in armor and bit into flesh. Spears of ice were launched at more distant enemies, others frozen to the ground leaving them vulnerable for the ice atronach and twilight matriarch to attack while their summoner moved other targets. Always keeping on the move, weaving spells and steel as if she were dancing.

She may have preferred more intellectual pursuits but there was no way she could deny that she had a talent for combat. And here she was, a Spellsword dancing through the battlefield to the tune of war. A tune that only seemed to grow louder. While she matched her pace with that of the song it didn't mean she wasn't confused where the song was coming from rather than the tune withing her own thoughts.

Jaune found himself lucky to be with an Orc Chief. If only because he was so used to having teammates that he could count on in both skill and raw power. Chief Koralg may not have Nora's surprising strength or Pyrrha's skill but he could give both a run for their gold. And so the Breton was able to fall back into his usual engagement position- in the middle where he could watch the front lines and issue orders to bolster one side or another. Periodically casting healing spells on the Orcs and preventing any enemy from going any further if they slipped through.

He was the last line of defense between the injured and the few reserves helping them. Koralg had yet to move from the lead, he showed little signs of slowing down any time soon as his twin axes beheaded a Redguard and smashed through a Breton's shield and into the man's shoulder in a few seconds time.

A Redguard woman with a pair of swords slipped through and Jaune moved to intercept. His heirloom shield bashed against her swords held to block his charge and she staggered back from the force. She had to dive to the left as his blade stabbed for her chest, leaving only a small scratch in her leather armored arm.

Her retaliation was a dance of blades that had him completely on the defensive with his shield taking nearly all of the attacks, one had to be parried by his own sword before she leapt back to catch her breath. If Jaune didn't regularly train with Pyrrha he'd have been impressed by her skill but she had little to offer in comparison.

That realization gave him all of the incentive he needed as he closed the gap between them and readied his blade. Jaune may not have any fancy sword tricks to use against her but his basics were swift and sharp, experience allowed him to chain them together in an unending series while his mind studied how she moved. Any counters from her blades were absorbed by his shield or deflected by his sword.

Their deadly dance continued until she tripped over a dead Orc and her arms flung to the sides in an attempt to regain balance. Her opponent lunged and his blade pierced her chest by the heart. As he drew it back, she barely had time to notice that she was falling. When she hit the ground, she was gone.

Once the Nord saw the third explosive bolt detonate against the wall she paused in her little song and yelled loud enough to be heard over the Ogres song- also referred to as her normal volume by her friends. "Alright boys! Ruby knocked on the door for us! Now let's get down there and break some legs!"

With a roar of approval, the warriors picked up their weapons and followed the redhead down the mountain where the battle had already started. Their pace was brisk yet they found in their anticipation of battle the energy to restart their song. Soon their pace matched the music, their footsteps pounding the ground like drums, and making the song that much more enjoyable to them and intimidating to their enemies.

Once they hit the valley bottom, everyone broke into a jog, still singing. The battle before them was nearly a stone throw away. That gave Nora a 'brilliant' idea.

"Hey Chief! Throw me!" The Nord calls out as she jumps at him. Bronzongi for his part was as confused as anyone else who heard her but still reacted, scooping the short girl from the air in his massive hands. Without breaking stride, he whipped around and threw her in a high arc, soon after commanding his clan to throw their own projectiles.

While in flight, Nora managed to cast Stoneflesh, Lightning Cloak, and Surge before raising her hammer in preparation. Even then she didn't miss that her brief flight was accompanied by dozens of large stones, several spears, and a live angry badger.

That was the sight that both frightened and confused the Breton and Redguard army. Nora came crashing down hammer first on a commander, neither he or his horse survived the crushing blow. At the same time the rocks and spears bludgeoned and stabbed many soldiers, those that missed broke any formations as the targets scrambled to dodge. The badger landed on one mans unarmored chest and immediately began tearing at him with tooth and claw, it's growls and hisses only heard between his screams.

By the time the last stone landed, the Ogres were on them with Chief Bronzongi in the lead swinging in with a crude club that was made from a rock tied to a tree, and a leather glove adorned with claws made from swords on his other hand.

What was the northern flank of the army had now become a new front line. One that was quickly being overrun as the large beings plowed through the ranks with large shields and hammers swinging. The only human among them was wreathed in lightning and cackling madly as she smacked away men twice her size with ease.

A small group led by Krunra broke off to attack the wall weakened by the catapults. The few soldiers manning the walls had to turn from the burning wood to the oncoming Ogres. Some were weaponless, having dropped everything to fight the fires. A few of the people had bows or skill with magic and used them to counterattack. At the same time, the Ogres had their own magic, walls of rock burst from the ground and blocked the spells and arrows shattered on contact.

A few thrown rocks kept the defenders moving and slowing their attacks. That ended when Krunra broke from cover and ran for the wall, his massive size meant that he covered the distance quickly at the cost of being an equally large target. Arrows pierced his leather armor and fire scorched it but nothing fazed him as he made for his goal.

Two paces away from the wall, Krunra brought his hammers to the ground with a crash that rivaled what Nora had done with each. A surge of magic pulsed through the ground along with the tremor he caused, moments later a pair of stone spires burst up from the base of the wooden structure, smashing through the softer material with ease as they rose to nearly twice the height. The remains of the wall between the spires were crushed to splinters or fell away in chunks that left an open gateway into the encampment. A gateway that was quickly used by the ogres before the defenders could regain their bearings.

At that point all that the humans could do was attempt to slow the ogres down with ranged attacks as they ran away. Any who tried to fight in melee range were lucky if they lasted five seconds before their bones were shattered and screams of pain rent the air, if they could, marked their path.

On the southern mountainside, if one watched carefully, one would see what looked like a slow-motion landslide. In reality, it was dozens of goblins descending to the valley below where they joined dozens of others along with their animals, spiders, rats, skeevers, snakes, chaurus, wasps, durzogs, and giant scorpions.

The three tribe leaders and a blonde woman led the mass of beings over two hundred strong to the battle in front of them. Their small army growing antsy in anticipation.

"Bezoar," The lone human calls out to a Chief. He gestured to let her know he was listening. "Take a bunch with you and hit the camp through the hole in the wall."

The Venom Fang Chief responded with action, he and his massive durzog quickly marshaled thirty of the nearest goblins and their pets and making a beeline to the breach in the fortifications. The few men that had stationed themselves outside of the hole never stood a chance as they were overwhelmed by numbers. Unobstructed, the goblins rushed through the hole, taking out any soldiers in the vicinity. The shouts of alarm from within told Yang plenty of their success in the task. By now the Breton-Redguard southern flank had hastily assembled into a defensive position.

The blonde could only laugh at that, too many times in her young life where her opponents thought that their defenses would stop her, few of them lasted long. A bolt from Ember Celica from each arm certainly sent the message as the explosions destroyed the shields of two men and caused them to fall, their nearby comrads flinching away from the shrapnel.

Not to be outdone, the goblins began using their own ranged attacks, fireballs lit up the early dawn battlefield, arrows flew in swarms, vials of toxins were thrown, and small rocks slammed into bodies. The men in the front had their work cut out for them in their attempts to keep their shields in position. But when the goblins got close enough the men fell to their numbers, those who survived their blades were trampled as the horde pushed their advantage.

Yang was practically unstoppable, more than one weapon broke under her maces, their wielders bashed away soon after. A few soldiers tried to gang up together but she was nearly as agile as she was strong, so they barely delayed her. She was so wrapped up in the battle that she almost didn't notice the Warhammer on her left.

The steel block rang when it hit her gauntlets and throwing the girl away. She managed to roll to her feet and shook her head a bit before looking at who hit her.

The warrior before her was a mountain of a man, similar in size and build to Orc Chief Granog. His long wild hair and beard blew in the light wind as he stalked forward while adjusting his grip.

A dive to the side saved her skull from being caved in from an overhead swing. Her immediate retaliation swing found her mace stopped by his weapons shaft.

He apparently wasn't able to get any armor beyond arm and leg guards of solid shining steel but that just made it easier for him to move out of reach when she got past his guard. Yang was put on the defensive by his series of broad sweeps with his hammer that she managed to avoid but in the process a pair of goblins, a spider, and one of his own fellow Redguards were killed.

She found an opening as he over-reached and she rushed in using her far smaller size to her advantage and delivered a fierce backhanded swing into his ribs. Yang spun under his arm and used the momentum to kick the back of his knee and smashed her mace into his back as he stumbled.

That stumble was all she got for her troubles as he roared and nearly caught her head with a wild swing of his fist and was forced to jump back as the hammer swung where she was. While in her dodging attempts her maces were knocked from her hands from a block.

She soon found herself inside his guard again and gave a quick jab to the inner thigh on his right leg, an uppercut to the same ribs that had met her mace, and a straight punch into his stomach that bent him over enough for a cross to the jaw.

Even all of that barely brought the man to a knee, let alone relent his grip on his weapon. Surprisingly fast, his hand shot out to grab her neck as he slowly rose, easily lifting Yang off the ground where he seemed content to watch her choke as he squeezed.

Yang was getting desperate as she fought for air, her allies were busy enough fighting off far superior numbers, her maces were somewhere on the ground and out of reach. Pounding on his arm was doing nothing but encouraging him to squeeze tighter, making her glad that her choice of armor covered her neck so he had to work that much harder.

She still had magic as an option! A small fireball at his feet was enough of a distraction that his grip loosened allowing for her to take a deep breath. Now able to concentrate better thanks to fresh air, usage of Burning Hands on his own hand and arm provided plenty of reason for him to let go. Her body burst into flame as she took another deep breath from her anger induced and instinctive use of a Flame Cloak.

Sensing that this would be the final round the man swung his hammer only for her to duck under and with Burning Hands still active, landed several punches to his body, burning his torso where ever she touched while her cloak scorched the rest of his face and limbs. The pain of the burns and force of her attacks were enough to force him to drop his weapon to try defending himself better.

Channeling her flames and frustration into a last attack, her burning fist flew upwards. The flames changed form during the strike into a trio of burning claws that left burning gashes deep into his flesh like talons of a massive beast. The Redguard gasped in shock and pain as he dropped to his knees before falling to the side.

Yang could only stand in shock at what she did, it was the first time that had ever happened. Sure, she had punched people with fists aflame before but had never resulted into flaming claws. Few knew that she preferred the mace to a sword or axe was because she didn't like the idea of cutting someone open, their blood splattering all over. She was no stranger to blood, no one who fought for a living was, but being the one to cause it just unsettled her. Her sister and closest friends used blades to fight but not her and Nora, but the Nord just liked a big hammer. The mace was like an extension of her fists and caused similar damage. Busting skulls with a mass of metal was something that she could reason that the victim no longer could feel pain without an intact brain.

A goblin nudged her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. Looking down she saw him holding her weapons for her to take. She shook her head to clear it.

"Thanks big guy. Now let's finish this!" Yang took her weapons and leapt back into the fray with the goblin watching her back. She'd deal with the issue later, now there was a battle to win.

General Beau Muroah, from all of the reports he could gather, was the current ranking officer of the Siege of Orsinium. General Gateau had apparently died in his sleep, the man was too old for the campaign but his experience was invaluable and his troops were fiercely loyal to him. General Luxly was killed in battle when the Ogres joined the battle, the man owed him enough gold to buy a new house. Anyone else was either dead or unable to be found, presumed dead as far as he was concerned given the state that the joint army was in. His army was barely ordered in any definition as it was currently and he couldn't help but appreciate the enemies plans.

The infiltration of the fortifications by a group of assassins who silenced several officers and dozens of enlisted men and women without being caught. The destruction of the main gate had forced their hand to defend the weak point while the assassins continued their work on the opposite side of the compound.

The Orcs had baited the first responders at the gate into attacking. His troops were ambushed by the Orcs and divided into various groups caught in pincer attacks. Then the assassins found their catapults and used them, causing more distractions before openly attacking the troops, further dividing their efforts to squash the attack.

Then the Ogres barged through the wall, smashed through his army, and helped the Orcs. Now the beasts were demolishing almost anything that wasn't an Orc on the northern side. To the south a horde of Goblins breached the wall and wreaked havoc in both the camp and among his troops who were dealing with the Orcs.

He appreciated the strategy as much as it irritated him since it was being used against him. Reports from the runners weren't looking very good either, the assassins within the camp were especially skilled and so far few who fought them survived, even when deployed in units. Not only that but their numbers were unknown. The only known identities thus far was of a Bosmer woman who was summoning daedra, and a female Khajiit. At least one other was intercepting his soldiers. The Bosmer was obviously skilled to fight for as long as she did against so many soldiers, even if she was dividing their attention with atronachs and dremora.

Despite his army outnumbering the Orcs and their allies several times over, they had been divided, confused, and unprepared. His men going to fight with most still in their sleep clothes, any armor and weapons they used were whatever that was available to the first man or woman who laid hands on them. They were confused, underequipped, unprepared, and demoralized. And yet they fought on and he couldn't help but be proud of them for that but now he had to salvage what he could of the situation.

The call to retreat was a welcome one for many of the troops, though those on the front lines were forced to continue the fight to keep their enemies at bay so the others could run. The fortifications were quick to evacuate, the invaders made a pretty good incentive to leave. The men and women outside filed their way around the wrecked gates and walls and fled west as fast as they could carry the injured and whatever little they could carry off as they ran by.

It wasn't long before the full retreat was noticed by the Orcs and their allies, only continuing to fight the Bretons and Redguards who insisted on continuing while others cheered at their apparent victory. Any remaining combat was swiftly ended.

"Kree!" Koralg shouted once the last fight ended nearby, the Goblin yanking his massive sword from the Reguard's body. The scout arrived as fast as he could, some blood splattered across his face and armor with some minor wounds of his own.

"Follow them until you're sure they're not going to double back. If you find a courier, send them here and I'll have a letter for them to deliver.

"I'm on it." With that Kree left with a few others who soon disappeared into the wilderness following the trail from the retreating army.

Blake, Ren, and Denko emerged from the ruined gate from having just taken their time to stroll through the camp and briefly search around for anyone left behind to ambush them. The goblins and ogres were doing their own sweep of the camp so they weren't too concerned at the moment.

"I take it that we're good then?" Denko asks lightly as she tosses away a bloody rag that was used to clean her blade.

"Yeah, go gather your little group and get back to the stronghold. I need to get things taken care of out here. Oh, and if you run into Breezik, tell him to get his men out here for cleanup duty."

"Sure thing Chief!" The Bosmer chirps as she removes the Bender Ring and returning to normal.

"And stop playing with that damn ring! It freaks me out!" Koralg yells only for the Bosmer to grin cheekily and slip it back on long enough to induce the change and remove it again before pocketing the artifact with a laugh. The Chief spewed curses under his breath in response.

"Damn it!" Echoed through the longhouse that served as a medical staging area. Several young Orcs who were considered too young to join the battle had to nearly tackle a man back onto his cot to help another remove the warriors' armor. That was made much more difficult by the sword that was broken off in his shoulder and his thrashing certainly didn't help.

The Healer in charge almost casually smacked him upside the head, a smack that also carried a calm spell. She had done that while still working on another man who looked like he'd taken a dagger to the gut. Next to him lay a woman who'd taken nearly a dozen arrows, most in her back. Her decency was maintained by a blanket while she lay on her stomach while another healer did what she could to heal while removing the projectiles.

More than a few died of their wounds while in the Healers care. For their part, the Healers were efficient, only taking those who needed their treatment if they were to live to the next day. Still it was first come, first served and those who were unable to survive were made as comfortable as they could be with their armor on and weapons in hand. Many of them insisted on dying on their feet and were helped up by their fellow warriors, most of which escorted their fallen brethren back to the battlefield.

Back in the storage building that served as their quarters while with the Orcs, the group of nine were mostly quiet as they worked to remove their armor. All of them letting out small grunts and whines as injuries made themselves known from the sight of bruising, exposing cuts to open air, the strain on their muscles leading to stiffness and cramps. The loss of the battle rush that allowed them to ignore the pain and move beyond their normal limits was something they did not appreciate.

"Ow… that's gonna bruise for sure." Yang complains as she probes her neck. As sore as it was now she was extremely glad that her armor surrounded her throat.

"Looks that way Sis." Ruby chips in as she passed by as she took on the duty of collecting everyone's weapons and armor and setting them to the side so they could be cleaned and repaired later. A loud pained hiss spread through the crowd of friends, originating from Denko who'd just removed the armor from his upper body to reveal a pair of deep gashes in his back. Both of which began bleeding anew from the movement.

Yang rushed over to help, taking the clean wet cloth tossed to her by Ruby who carried the basin over. The cool water eased the pain for the Mer over the cuts. A second cloth began cleaning his back of the fresh blood before it got all over everything. A healing spell manifested in the blonde woman's hands as she maintained the pressure on the cloth.

"Thanks." Denko says through gritted teeth. Slowly he relaxed as the restoring magic closed the wounds and even began closing the number of smaller cuts on his arms and legs.

"How's it feel?" She asks after her magicka ran out.

The Bosmer flexed his limbs carefully. "At least they are closed." He comments before gesturing at his back. "Feels like that'll leave a mark."

"A few scars aren't too bad." Yang quips in response before moving to remove her boots as Ruby took care of the bloody water.

"How're you Ren?" Nora was curious. The Normally energetic Nord was almost as exhausted as everyone else. A small stack of crates served as a screen to remove her armor and change into 'after battle' clothes with some privacy. The clothes were only a few uses away from being rags but they fine as a little blood wouldn't matter and better than staining their better clothes. All but Weiss were changing into something similar, the resident Ice Queen having a grey robe that had seen better days but had a long life ahead of it yet.

Ren was interrupted from answering by a knock on the door. A moment later Krilin walked through and looked them all over.

"Seems you kids really do know your way around a fight. Glad my confidence in Malacath's choice for a champion and his allies wasn't misplaced." She stated with a mix of pride and relief. "Good thing you can patch yourselves up too, our healers are running themselves ragged taking care of our own."

"Need any help? I'm a pretty good healer myself." Jaune asks, rising from where he'd spent the last few minutes working on Pyrrha's arm. A blade had gotten lucky and left a deep cut into an exposed part of her sword arm, hindering her near the end of the battle.

"Thanks for the offer but let us keep our pride. Same for the Goblins and Ogres. They have their own healers for times like these. That's not what I wanted to tell you lot anyway." She paused long enough to let confusion rise. "We warmed up some water so if you need to wash up you can go now. Just don't take too long or use it all up, the Chief's and their wives normally get to it first but they're busy yet."

The old Orc could only laugh as she left the shack as the occupants began a mad rush for their cleaning supplies and finish removing their armor. Energy that was thought to be long spent was suddenly found at the mere hope of a warm bath. She wisely stood out of the way as Nora and Yang led the way.

Nearly an hour later Krilin caught the freshly bathed youths as they were leaving the bathhouse. Even their wounds looked better but that's the result of a good cleaning. Granted, calling the building a bathhouse was being generous but the Orcs know how to build things well for practicality.

"You brats go back to your lodge and rest up. Be ready for anything tomorrow."

"That's it?" Ren asks, no one else seemed find the words to answer in their tired states.

"Where's the fun in things if I have to explain everything? We're celebrating our victory so you'll need your rest." With that the elder wandered off laughing.

"Food!" Ruby couldn't contain herself when she opened the door and next to the firepit was a large pot full of hot stew with some loaves of bread and fruits next to it. Nearby were some bottles of ale, mead, wine, water, and a large box with a wide range of tea blends.

As those with the most hair, Yang, Weiss, and Pyrrha sat by the fire to brush their still damp locks. Jaune and Nora began ladling out the stew with a chunk of bread on the side while Red and Denko started on the drinks- notably making tea for themselves, leaving the others to put away their supplies and those of their friends.

"This is so good!" Nora yells after her first spoonful of stew, something that was far more quietly agreed on by the others.

"A lot of this must have been taken from the supplies that the other guys left behind." Denko comments before taking a bite of bread.

"That's how many wars go. To the winner goes the spoils. They were forced to abandon their supplies in order to survive." Ren explains as he sips his tea.

"Do you think that all of the people we have to find will have stuff like this going on?" Yang laughs before taking a swig of mead from the bottle.

"Doubt it." The Bosmer scoffs. "The Snow Elves have been in hiding for thousands of years, Lilmothiit created a pocket realm in Oblivion back in the Second Era to escape the Knahaten Flu, Falinesti apparently went for a stroll through the planes of Oblivion… should be no problem."

"See! I told you this would be easy Weiss! Now pay up!" Nora pointed at the white-haired girl with a grin from her seat on a crate.

Weiss sighed, not even bothering to look at the Nord. "First of all, I never made a bet with you." Nora was about to respond. "Ever." The Nord deflates. "Second, we're tackling some of the biggest mysteries that Tamriel has ever known. Mysteries that have eluded countless scholars for hundreds of years. Do you really think that we could do better than them, even with the Aedra and Daedra backing us, in a short time?"

"Maybe we'll finish next year!" Nora's response prompted laughter from the sisters and blonde males. Weiss dropped her face into her hands.

"How am I even friends with you?" The Ice Queen mutters.

Unfortunately for her sanity Nora answered, "It's simple really! I'm tons of fun and you're no fun at all! We balance each other!" Even Blake was broken from her book to laugh at her friends' expense.

 **AN: In case anyone was watching the news in the US, the badger was added months ago in my written draft, not something to make fun of the Cheeto-in-Chief. But it works.**

 **Now we've seen how war works with RWBY and JNPR being involved along with odd allies. Next time will be full of celebrations.**

 **I'm still looking for input if anyone would like me to rewrite the first chapter as it doesn't flow like the rest of the story. Also if anyone would like to be my Beta reader, please pm me.**

 **As always, I'd like to make sure that the Elder Scrolls lore is maintained with known canon so if I messed up anything please let me know so I can fix it.**


	12. Memories

Empire Rising

Memories

Weiss lay in her bed thinking back on the battle, searching her mind for any mistakes she had made. It became something of a habit for the white-haired girl that had developed when she was a child. As long as she could remember, her father was always pushing for all of his children to be perfect in what they did. Everything from how they spoke, how they walked, ate, handled themselves in public, all in an effort as not to embarrass him. Of course, he always referred to it as setting an example for everyone else to match and anything that they did 'wrong' would be found and be privately punished.

 _She spun away from a Breton trusting with a sword, a timely flick of the wrist opened a cut on his bare torso and forced him to back off. At the moment she found herself separated from the rest of her allies but she wasn't worried despite the five Redguards charging on her left with the intent to overrun the smaller girl._

 _A push of her thumb allowed the cylinder within the guard of her sword to spin, settling on the red chamber. A small trigger on the grip released a light trickle of the combination of finely ground soul gems and fire salts into a small groove in the blade. A pulse of magic into the mixture with a swing of Myrtenaster created an arc of flame that soared at the attacking warriors, catching them by surprise in how the magical attack was utilized. The flames engulfed the three in the center, the pair on either side had the room to move and dove out of the way._

 _A lunge before the one on the right could gain their balance allowed Weiss to plunge her thin stalrhim blade into his chest, piercing a lung. He fell as she withdrew the blade of enchanted ice, gripping the wound as he bled out on the ground. The girl raised her sword to block the other warriors own steel sword where they clashed. Weiss was pushed back by the woman's momentum and greater strength, forcing her to push her blade to the side and a spin with the force allowed some distance between the two._

 _The two swung, steel met stalrhim with a ringing sound. Neither noticed that the metal edge had chipped. The Redguard and Imperial met again in a dance of blades, a contest of skill and grace with none gaining an advantage over the other. The steel continued to lose its integrity every time it met ice, eventually it gave in completely and shattered into numerous shards._

 _The tip of the sword, the largest piece besides the half in its wielders hand, flew through the air at the white-clad girl. It sliced into her cheek just below her left eye, near the scar that crossed the same eye. An injury that she associated with her father, the man who had insisted that if she wanted to continue her blade training, she had to defeat a daedroth. Less than six months into her training._

 _The beast had fallen to her spells and blade but not before nearly taking her eye with it. It had taken months of the work from some of the best healers to ensure that she was not blinded on that side. The scar remained, a mark on her face that became a constant reminder of her fathers' disdain for her choosing her own path in life rather than being his puppet._

 _That flash of pain and hurtful memories lit a fire within her and her enemies felt it. The Redguard woman barely glanced up from her broken blade before her throat was slit. A Breton man ran at Weiss, with a striking resemblance to her father in his younger years and her scar pulsed at the sight, was countered with a gout of flame to the face. Another woman was kicked to the side and sliced across the back, a pair of men received a Chain Lightning that stopped them in their tracks, they fell to the ground with holes in their chests from a sequence of thrusts._

 _Enemies charged from all sides. Another spin of the cylinder stopped on a pale blue chamber. The release of the contents and magika created a ring of icy spears around the Ice Queen, most of them impaling the Bretons and Reguards with only two being able to stop in time. That didn't save them from the small girl as she jumped back onto one of the spears to use it as a platform to jump across the ring. Her right hand caught the top to act as a pivot so she could kick the man in the face, blood flowed freely from his broken nose._

 _The other man tried to hit her with his war hammer only to strike ice as she twisted out of the way. Chunks were smashed off, temporarily blinding him from seeing his opponent grabbing one of the larger pieces out of the air and used it as a base to launch an ice spike into his chest._

" _You'll stay down if you know what's good for you." She didn't even look at the man who did his best to stem the flow from his face. Her voice was as cold as the ice she commanded. He relaxed as best he could when she moved on to continue her deadly dance._

'I shouldn't let my emotions control me like that.' Weiss mentally reminds herself as she strokes the small traces of the injury below her eye. The thought of her father made her scar pulse again, the reaction making her scowl as she hated the feeling. Just another thing for her to overcome, like many things she's had to surpass over her life and she refused to give up now.

"What was that Pyrrha?" Yang asks with wide eyes.

"It sounds like what you used was the Searing Strike." The redhead explains calmly as she inspects her sword, Milo, for damage.

"And you know that how?" Blake was listening in even as she was reading her book. Though by the fact that she was actually looking at them showed that her full attention was on them.

"Because the Searing Strike is one of the distinctive attacks used by the Dragonknights from the Three Banners War in the Second Era." She expands, but upon seeing to cue to go on she elaborated some more. "The Dragonknights were one of six main classes of warriors during the war. The others were the Nightblade, the Sorcerer, the Paladin, the Warden, and the Necromancer."

"Necromancers!" Yang nearly yells at the revelation.

"They aren't like the necromancers that we've run into during our missions. The family doesn't exactly like to make it known publicly but everyone still knows them."

"You know them?" Blake asks as she marks her page and puts it to the side.

The Altmer sighs, "My family is one of the few in Alinor to practice the old arts like them. We, as in our families, continue the traditions of the ancient warriors within our families. We're highly respected and managed to ensure that we stayed out of the war with the Empire, acting as advisors at best to the military."

"Wow, I didn't know that about you." Yang leans back against the wall.

"It never really came up until now." Pyrrha dismisses.

"Anything else you can tell us about these warriors?" Blake was curious now and likely wouldn't let the matter drop any time soon.

"Well… my family is the one that continues the Paladin traditions. Most of our techniques revolve around our Aedric Spears, Light magic, and healing abilities. Unfortunately, while I have an innate talent for the spear forms, I also lack most of the ability for the other two schools within the Class." Pyrrha explains.

"What about the Dragonknights?" Yang was highly interested as this discussion was started due to her asking questions about the attack she had used in the battle.

"They are masters of using flame to attack, stone to defend, and the mimicry of dragons for offense, defense, and healing. They are primarily frontline fighters that take hits and give them back."

"The Nightblades?" The local Khajiit inquires.

"They utilize forms of shadow magic to attack, move, conceal, and even drain the lifeforce of targets. They have a tendency for assassination and ambush while maintaining mobility in open battle."

"What about the Sorcerers?" Denko asks, surprising the three women at his sudden appearance.

"They utilize lightning as their primary attack, supported by summoning daedra and manifesting dark crystals and variants of shadow magic. Not to be underestimated as they have a varied arsenal and can outflank almost any opponent they face."

"Hey Pyrrha, what are the Warden's?" Jaune asks from his bed where he's been trying to rest his shield arm. It was sore from taking so many blows during the battle, not that the other arm was feeling much better.

"They are fighters that are connected with nature more than most would realize. They call on a variety of animals to assist them in battle, using ice to defend themselves, and growing plants to heal their allies."

"Oh wow." The Breton was awed.

"And the Necromancers?" Ren spoke up from where he was meditating in a corner. His voice reminded them that he was even there, his ability to simply disappear from notice was sometimes unnerving to his friends. They considered themselves lucky that he didn't have a prankster streak within him.

"They keep to themselves for the most part. They raise the dead in certain ways, use magic in unusual ways to heal themselves and others. One of their biggest surprises is their ability to transform into a giant skeleton to enhance their strength and spells for a short time. They are someone you'd rather have on your side rather than fight against."

"So... don't mess with those families? Easy enough 'cause we aren't going anywhere near the Summerset Isles." Denko sums everything up.

"I… guess that's one way to look at it." Pyrrha wasn't sure if that was something to be proud or embarrassed about. Either ways her thoughts were interrupted by another blonde.

"You think that I might be one of those Dragonknights from the Three Banners War?" Yang asks.

"It may be possible that one of your ancestors was a particularly strong Dragonknight and it's beginning to manifest itself in you. Sometimes magical abilities will run in a family, others can be taught, some abilities are built off of innate talent or unique circumstances." Pyrrha answers somewhat uncertainly as she tried her best to remember her lessons.

The Dunmer added his own opinion, "I've seen similar things when I was in Morrowwind. Certain families have talents outside of the influence of the Great Houses. Many of them use those particular talents to their advantage."

Yang looked down at her right hand as she delved deep in thought, a moment passed where she imposed a scaled, clawed, hand in its place. The image faded from her mind as fast as it came. She looks back up at her friends with a determined look, "If that's the case, I should figure them out and learn to control these powers."

"This should be fun." Denko laughs.

Pyrrha nods in agreement with Yang's decision. "I'll write down what I know for you about the Dragonknights and their abilities. It's not much but it will be better than going in blind."

Ruby actually found enjoyment in weapon and armor repair. It wasn't to the same level as creating new pieces but it was the fact that she was healing them in a sense and extending their lives. The extension of their lives would allow for the extension of the lives that they protect.

That wasn't including the fact that everyone put their own particular marks on their armor and weapons, making them as unique as the person that used them. They were even better when created by their user as they were not merely mass produced, the personal touches that were worked into the materials, the fact that someone may prefer a slightly longer sword than another and so would craft it that way. Another may like a certain style or add a flare to personalize the object, sometimes a mere ribbon for a bit of color, a small spike on a shoulder that helps add a touch of intimidation, the use of certain metals and alloys to allow for desired strength or flexibility.

She had to shake her head to clear the thoughts from her head… again, so that she could focus on the task at hand- cleaning the armor of her friends so they could be repaired later. Her own armor had gone first, not that there was any actual damage or bloodstains, but that it was on the top of the pile. Although that did get some blood on the armor from her friends, that and her own sweat had to be washed away. Thankfully the Orcs had a small stream where they washed their clothes and armor along with a specially made soap that worked wonders for bloodstains.

That soap worked wonders for Denko's armor given the amount of blood that was on it, both his and the enemies. Although Weiss' was the real trick given the pale blue and white coloration of the materials… something that had led to many discussions and/or arguments with her choice of attire. With how often she complained about her clothes and armor getting dirty, it was no surprise that white showed any and all dirt and stains, at least she was willing to wash her own clothes… most of the time… after a few arguments that her stuff was hers to take care of, not someone else's job.

Pyrrha's was a bit more difficult as the softer, more absorbent materials were already red, while Blake's new armor shed the blood with just a little water. Maybe it was an enchantment from the Dark Brotherhood or something that was worked into the leathers that didn't interfere with the colors seeing as how Blake was able to alter the red parts to a darker purple without issue.

"Something I'll have to ask Denko when we have a moment." Ruby says to herself as a mental note. "It would save a lot of time not having to wash as much."

She continued washing armor for some time as she took mental notes on where repairs would have to be made before realization came to her. "His armor didn't wash off like Blake's did!" Racking her recent memories, the silver-eyed girl noted that only the Brotherhood armor shed the blood with ease. That was something that she'd really have to look into at some point and question the Bosmer for answers.

She calmed down and finished the washing and used a towel and the heat and light of a nearby fire to dry and inspect her work. Unfortunately, the calm allowed her mind to drift to the battle, where her actions had helped end the lives of hundreds of people. Granted none of them on the enemy side she was likely to know and she did get to know plenty of the Orcs while living with them, some of which she knew were likely to never be seen alive again. Not even counting the Orcs she didn't know yet. Or the Goblins that Yang had befriended. Or the Ogres…

Krilin dropped onto a nearby stone and scared the much younger girl with her sudden appearance. "Eeep!"

"Hahaha! I still got it!" The elder laughed before calming at the somber look on the girls' face. "Tell me young'n, what's wrong with you?"

Ruby stared at the ground, not even looking in the Orc's direction. "I…I really don't like killing people."

Krilin sat on her rock watching the little girl in front of her. Seeing the emotional side of people like this really reminded her of her age. Of all the different people of all races she'd encountered in her long life. Of all of the warriors she'd trained and consoled, the mages she'd taught and passed her knowledge onto.

"Normally here in the clans we'd tell you that the fact that you fought and lived proved that you are stronger and only the strong truly deserve to live." Ruby looked at her from her kneeling position by the stream. "But there are others who never get out to the battlefield to prove themselves that way. They are the ones that make sure that our powerful warriors have the best equipment, kept in good health, and are given a reason to fight for.

But I can tell that you have done all four of those without becoming an empty shell of yourself. You are not afraid of exposing your heart and that shows your strength." Silver eyes looked at her with curiosity now.

"The strength to not put on an act for your friends and allies, you are genuine. I've heard the stories of you leading your friends into battle, you try to lead by example. You've tried doing things on your own that you shouldn't, yet have also relied on your friends for their strengths." She paused a moment and saw that she had her full attention. "You try to do so much at such a young age that it's admirable and inspiring to those around you. Don't ever let that stop."

"What are you saying?" Ruby could practically see the pieces in front of her but not how they fit.

"What I'm saying is that your emotions are your strength, they guide you through the highs and lows of your life. Keep you moving where others would stop. Your emotions seek others to assist in stability and you stabilize them in turn, even if you don't realize it. It's why your friends look to you as a leader, even your sister."

"What about Yang? Couldn't she be a leader instead?"

"Hmmm… perhaps given the right motivations. But she's too much of a free spirit to want the responsibility of such a position, even if she's taken up roles in other areas such as your little groups primary defender."

"Weiss wants to-"

"Right the wrongs of her family. I've heard it before from others. But it's both admirable and foolish, she's not her family but her own person. At least she's had the strength to break away and live for herself. That is something I can get behind. But she still won't let go of those chains of the past, eventually they will either drag her down or help her build the strength to shatter them."

"Blake?"

"Little cat is still trying to find herself. Keeps herself holed up in her books to avoid the real world as much as possible. Not my problem until her problems become mine but she's still the one who has to get over the fear of her own shadow. Best I can tell you is to be there when she needs you but don't push or she's likely to run."

"Jau-"

"Nope! I'm going to have to stop you there. I'm too old to go around trying to fix everyone's problems, even if giving advice. Some things you and your friends are going to just have to learn as life throws things at you. In my experience, sometimes plenty of things can be thrown at you or those around you. You just have to deal with it somehow."

The old Orc stands with some assistance from her staff and starts walking away. "Does it get easier?" The question stopped her.

"Life? Depends on what you make of it. Death? Depends on your reasons. Kill to survive, save others, protecting something, those are good reasons. Kill for revenge, pleasure, or simply because you were told to? Then you'll be going down a dark path."

"Have you ever killed for revenge?"

Krilin recounted how the Code of Malacath sometimes dictated that very thing. Even if she always taught that it was better to keep the trespasser alive, if only for them to live to knowing that they weren't killed believing that they weren't worth the effort or dignity.

The silence seemed to be enough of an answer for the young girl as she began quickly gathering the armor and placing it in the cart next to her.

"Nobody is perfect but I've never gotten pleasure from killing in revenge. Killing for its own sake makes you nothing more than a beast, taking enjoyment from it should only paint a target on your back for others to kill you to protect everyone else." She began walking again.

"What about the last reason you gave?"

She never stopped walking away. "Never do something simply because you were told to. Always question everything because everything has an answer and a reason. Even if we don't like them."

Ruby was left alone with her thoughts again, though this time far more enlightening and as confusing as they were helpful. She lifted the arms of the handcart and traveled up the path towards her teams hut thankful that the day was almost over.

'Maybe my friends will know what some of that stuff means.'

The next day found the group of nine in the middle of the stronghold, standing behind the five Chiefs who were flanked by their wives and wisewomen. Koralg stood in front of them all, before them was the full assembly of the five clans. Even the injured were outside.

"Today we stand here to celebrate our victory over the invading army!" Koralg began, the Orcs he addressed straightened up in pride, even the injured seemed to forget their wounds for the most part. "It is also to celebrate the efforts of our allies!"

At that announcement the three Goblin Chiefs lead several dozen of their warriors to one side of the assembly while Bronzongi and his son were at the head of the Ogre procession that stopped on the other side. Many of the Orcs let out cheers at their arrival, others were still unsure on what to make of the situation.

"We are here to remember our fallen, our brave brothers and sisters who fought to the end and have joined Malacath. They died with honor on the battlefield yesterday so that we, their family, their clans, may live and prosper!" A moment of silence passed as everyone bowed their heads, gave a salute of a closed fist over their hearts, many closed their eyes.

"We do not gather here to mourn our dead but to remember their lives! We honor their sacrifices by continuing to live and refusing to give into misery. Misery has no place among warriors, among Malacath's chosen! Instead the lives willingly given temper our resolve to live! Defeating our enemies, no matter who they are, keeps us strong! We survive despite the hardships that come our way from all directions and it was those who died facing those challenges who helped us rise above and the survivors conquer!"

What followed wasn't so much of a cheer as it was a roar of approval that echoed through the mountains that went on for a couple minutes. Drinks were passed to everyone and only when did Koralg continue.

"Now we drink in remembrance of their lives! We drink in their honor! We celebrate everything that allows us to survive and thrive where others die! To honor and glory!"

" **TO HONOR AND GLORY!"** The crowd replies before knocking back the beers, more than a few belches were heard among the cheers.

"Now let's party!" The nine chief's yell together and the assembled clans mingled and delved into barely contained chaos within the confines of the stronghold.

Denko sat somewhat stiffly in a chair as to not aggravate his injuries in a corner, content to simply watch and listen to the boasts and stories. It wasn't hard to spot a number of Orcs who were doing the same thing while others did their best to ignore their own injuries. Of course, plenty of alcohol helped in that regard.

Food was plentiful, due in no small part to raiding the Breton and Redguard supplies to add to their own. Bonfires crackled underneath spits laden with pigs, deer, fish, chickens, and beef. At least what could be easily identified, though he'd overheard that they were pretty much eating anything edible that could be caught since the battle, and they meant everything. There were a few pies on a table, most were a bit more staple desserts but a few more traditional Orc recipies were on display like the 'Wrath of Rats Pie', made of rat meat mixed with wrath-berries. That was avoided by his whole team.

The Bosmer looked to the left when he heard someone sit and found Ruby looking exhausted, Jaune following suite a few seconds later. "Having fun out there?"

Ruby waved her mug of watered-down ale, "Pshh! Yeah right!" A hefty gulp kept whatever profanities the normally mild girl from getting loose.

"I'm no stranger to crowds but this?" Jaune gestured to the Orcs, Goblins, and Ogres milling about and having fun eating and drinking. "This is ridiculous!"

"Get smacked a few too many times?" Denko smirks having witnessed a few and been the victim to his own share of hands on his shoulders, hence why he was where he was now.

"See how you feel after an ogre pats you on the back but doesn't seem to notice that I'm human and not like him." The Breton grumbles as he stabs a chunk of candied fruit with his fork.

"One of the Orc clans here are in charge of building a lot of the stuff here." Ruby lead before taking a bite of- something- off a skewer. "They really want to know what else I can design for them." She swallowed the meat.

"Ahh…"

"Don't 'ahh…' me, you sound like a goblin." The cloaked girl comments. She must be getting drunk if she's getting to that level of rudeness, at least being rude by Ruby standards. Didn't stop either male from snorting in an attempt to hide their laughter at the girl. Laughter that became open as her cheeks puffed in anger and she frowned, the sight was too much not to react in such a way.

Their amusement was ended as they saw Pyrrha break from a crowd of Orsimer and walked surprisingly fast to them the moment that her eyes locked onto their position. Whatever she said to the group seemed to disappoint some of the males but the normally proper Altmer all but collapsed onto a chair next to the Breton.

"They giving you a hard time?" He asks with an awkward smile.

"Crowds and fans were never things I particularly dealt with very well." The red-head replies before gulping down some wine from a mug. The bright flush across her cheeks could be from the drinks or the stress of dealing with her admirers. Likely both as she seemed to be using the alcohol to cope at the moment. Jaune could only weakly laugh at the Altmer's situation.

Deep singing began from deep in the crowd, not that there wasn't already the occasional bursts of song being belted out randomly but this drowned them out. A familiar voice joined them, recognizable almost solely by the volume. The people parted enough for the tired fighters to spot Nora leading a few Ogres in the music, including Bronzongi who was drinking from a barrel as if it were a simple mug. Ren was standing nearby with a resigned expression, something that he was all too well practiced with when things involved Nora. Sadly, that was at least once a day normally.

Nearby Yang celebrated winning an arm-wrestling contest by chugging down a mug of beer and staggering away from the table occupied now by a large Orc who was openly weeping about his loss. The blonde woman managed to locate their little group and made her way over, stumbling and weaving while snagging a plate of skewered meat. She landed heavily in a chair she dragged over to be next to the Wood Elf.

"Now this is a party!" She cheers as her teeth rip a chunk off the steel spike. Denko nods as he grabs a stick for himself, deftly avoiding the slow and clumsy stab from a meat laden skewer it the process. The buxom young woman was clearly drunk and not likely to last much longer. A few other guests had already passed out and were simply allowed to sleep wherever they fell. Not even the Ogres 'song' was making them stir, or the screeching voices of the Goblins joining in.

Now it was a big surprise when Weiss was found to be among the choir and her addition to their ranks softened the sound into something much more enjoyable. Her voice became the focus with the Ogres and Orcs creating a softer backing while the Goblins added some higher tones. Sure, it didn't seem that there was much thought going into the music, there weren't many words being used, but it was soothing. The few with drums, flutes, and lutes found their places within the song and making it something worth remembering.

" _Now everybody's died, so until our tears are dried  
We'll drink and drink and drink and drink and then we'll drink some more  
We'll dance and sing and fight until the early mornin' light  
Then we'll throw up, pass out, wake up and then go drinkin' once again!"_

Truly it was a song worthy of remembering warriors for their sacrifices.

The next morning found Ren on the wall overlooking the battlefield from two days prior. One of the watchmen explained the results of the battle.

"We've got the survivors under guard in their old fort. Of course, most of the supplies and all of the weapons have been removed and under guard around the clock." She tells him as she points. "They have a few people helping to tend to their injured and they have plenty of food and water, just can't leave."

"You are letting them walk around?" The Dunmer asks, surprised at the information.

"No matter what they say, we're not barbarians. We leave that to the Nords." The guard scoffs. "But they can't go anywhere so we let them be useful to themselves taking care of the injured, collecting their dead, finding personal stuff and giving it to the people or keeping a list of what goes with which body."

"I see." He was actually surprised at the level of respect given to the dead of their enemies, even their prisoners. Few could boast anything similar but perhaps it was the opposing side of the coin to their ferocity in battle and general outlook on life.

"I sure hope their general comes back for their men soon, it's a tusking pain to babysit them every day, all day." She rolls her neck and shoulders before moving to continue her patrol and effectively ending the conversation.

Ren studied what he was seeing and compared it to what he had heard, finding it difficult to tie the Orcs in the stronghold here to the tales he'd always heard about them being violent at all times and being as intelligent as a rock. Of course, that was usually some of the nicer things said about the race in general. Granted it wasn't something he'd ever accepted but a short meditation did allow him to find that the insults towards the Orcs he'd listened to for much of his life had become ingrained, internalized… something akin to a poison that slowly accumulated without notice. At the same time, he couldn't be honest with himself if he didn't admit that he held some prejudice in his opinions while his usual practiced restraint prevented almost all signs of acting on those ill thoughts.

The mer found a warm stone to sit upon in the sun to continue his meditations.

The interactions he's had with the Orcs revealed that little of what he'd heard about them was true, much of the same held for the Goblins and Ogres as well. He'd need to expel those toxic notions as best he could. It may take some time but he was sure that any lingering animosities that he may have would be crushed by constant exposure to the truth. At the very least for these clans. Any others they may come across he'd give the benefit of the doubt until they proved otherwise.

"What's you're nest move?" Koralg asks the Bosmer as the Orc drops onto a bench, careful not to disturb the papers strewn across the table.

Denko never looked up as he wrote in a small book, "Heading west to find a boat willing to search for the islands I'm supposed to take you to." His voice was monotone and distant sounding, clearly deeply invested in whatever he was working on yet had the sense to not tune out the world around him. The Rose girl had completely zoned out and focused on her sketches for the ballistae she'd come up with nearly a week ago. Of course, only once she was finished did she look up and notice that she had garnered the attention of small crowd of the more artisan leaning Orcs, leading to the cloaked girl to squeak in surprise and blush profusely.

"You don't know where you're going?"

"Only given a general location, the gods aren't exactly detail oriented for much of anything." He finished writing and closed the book giving his attention to the Chief. Most of his attention anyway, Nora and Yang were having an arm-wrestling match on the next table that had been going for nearly three minutes with no one gaining the advantage.

"That's true." Koralg nods in agreement. His own experiences with Malacath were occasional but hardly came with direct instructions, more along the lines of a goal presented and left the details to his followers to figure out.

"Besides, you guys were the ones in trouble so we had to get up here quickly, came from Kvatch."

"And you didn't want to deal with the Dominion either, I guess?"

"Nope. Gotta hope that some of my contacts can secure us safe passage through their waters for when we go through there eventually. Don't particularly feel like adding our names to the list of those claimed by the Sea of Ghosts."

"Good point. But if you find your islands?"

"Well…" he paused to stretch his back a bit as it was getting a bit stiff from sitting there and to subtly adjust his bandages under his clothes. "Falinest is supposed to be there. Probably check that out before coming back and getting your clans."

"And the other four."

"I didn't forget. Just figuring that it would be a bit difficult for all of you to get whatever you're taking with you on any ship that I know of. Even if just one clan at a time."

"Let us handle those details for you, you need to focus on the task that Malacath gave you."

"Heh, all one in the same. But I get it. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Denko collects his papers and book and stuffs them neatly into a small ledger.

Apparently, that was just in time as the table next to them shattered and chunks of wood flew across the table, even a good bit of board bounced by. The reason was simple, Yang and Nora's contest of strength was still continuing with Chief Granog watching with keen interest. Moments later the girls erupted into flames and sparks respectively as they pushed themselves- and their opponent as far as they could go. The elemental cloaks were partially accidental and an attempt to gain an advantage. Doing so at the same time largely canceled out each other, as well as turning the remains of the table at their feet to ashes.

Their display had gathered a number of spectators, some already making bets. A few tried egging Granog into joining them or claiming he should have a go at the winner. Eventually both girls tried adding their left hands to cheat, but doing it together maintained their stalemate.

Five minutes later they collapsed to the ground sucking in deep gasps of air as their right arms lay limply, the muscles occasionally twitching and causing spasms of pain to remind them that the arms were still there. Yang and Nora had exhausted both their stamina and magicka and could only laugh and wince weakly as the Bosmer stood tall over them.

"Satisfied yet?" He asks with an eyebrow quirked.

"Hehe, maybe. Who hit the ground first?" Yang asks before a spasm of pain shot down her arm.

"Please tell us!" Nora's chest was heaving still. How long were they going at it for the girl with near unlimited stamina to apparently run out?

"You hit the dirt first Nora." She sulked while Yang smile lit up her face. "But only 'cause Yang's taller and had farther to fall." Yang's smile slipped at the comment while Nora comically pouted.

"How long are you lot going to be here?" Koralg asks as he glances at the girls on the ground. For such slight figures, compared to what he's used to, they were insanely strong. Many a time, he'd thought about fighting them himself to test their strength personally during the time he'd known them.

"Hmmm… probably leave after your prisoners are picked up." The Bosmer had been informed of the letter that arrived from the Breton General Muroah stating that he was returning for his men.

"Alright, we'll throw a little party to see you off. Maybe." He laughs as he gets off his chair and walks away, likely to take care of clan business.

Three days later the General arrived early in the morning, complete with a small personal guard and a number of wagons with a dozen soldiers each. None of the soldiers were wearing armor aside from General and guard yet they all carried swords and/or bows.

"Looks like the General was smart enough to follow directions." Chief Kiln comments from his place at the main gate, Ruby and Jaune standing by his side as they watched the procession approach.

"Is all of this needed?" The young girl asks quietly as Koralg met with the General in a large open space to formally exchange the prisoners and bodies.

"Part of it is simple formalities to show them that we can be civil. Part of it is a display of power. If the General cares about his men at all he'll need to play by our rules. We didn't kill those who surrendered, we took care of the injured, we didn't let them starve or thirst. No honor in hurting an already beaten foe." Kiln explains. Silver eyes watched him before turning back to the exchange.

"Do you think this will improve relations at all?" Jaune was hesitant to ask, as if he already knew the answer. The look that Kiln gave him was enough.

"They attacked us without warning and laid siege to our small city when we did nothing to them. It's how every time the Orsimer try to centralize meets its end- with the Bretons or Redguards attacking us! If its not them, they get the Nords to do it for them." The normally calm Chieftain elaborates before letting out a breath.

"I don't hate most individual Breton's or Redguard's but I do have a general distrust given our history with them." Kiln seemed to calm down after letting those thoughts out as he turned to the blonde. "You are one of the exceptions with what you and your friends did for us. For that I am grateful."

Jaune rubs the back of his head with a nervous chuckle. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Just take the compliment, I don't hand them out to just anyone." Kiln grumbles which lead to Ruby giggling at the exchange.

The trio fell silent as they watched as the soldiers loaded the injured into the carts first, then the bodies and their belongings. The personal items and the ledger of known owners were stacked onto the last cart as there wasn't too much that was brought along that was large. The now freed prisoners of war who could walk were forced to do so due to the number of bodies being taken back to their families. Easily more than one hundred dead to be returned took nearly four hours to retrieve. Koralg was even nice enough to allow them to take the supplies of food, drink, and medicine that the prisoners had been allowed to have, which left a gracious General.

Five hours since the returning of the Bretons and Redguard's had passed until they finally left. Kree was sent to follow them for a bit, again, to ensure that they wouldn't double back and attack while their guard was down. Few of them even looked back as they were grateful even to be alive.

"Finally leaving us, eh?" Koralg states as he walks up to the group of nine warriors who were loading their supplies into their wagons and getting the horses ready.

"Yup!" Nora was certainly excited.

"Sorry Chief but we've got places to go and people to see." Yang's answer was a bit teasing as she dropped a barrel into the cart.

"And people to find." Weiss adds her two septims to the conversation as she walked by with a small locked chest.

"All right, I understand. Denko already went over the basics the other day. Go ahead and get out of here you lot." The Orc was joking around in response to the jovial girls as he let them pack up.

The Bosmer stepped up to the Chief, "I guess we'll see you later." He held his hand out.

The Orc gripped his hand firmly and shook it with a grin, "Let's make sure it's under better conditions next time. Like maybe on a beach?"

"Sounds good to me." The blonde answers with a smile of his own.

A few minutes later the two wagons were rolling out the main gates with the sun at their backs and ready to head east for the next leg of their adventure.

 **AN:** Sorry about the long wait folks, life has been busy. Spent about two weeks with a bad cold right when the whole Covid-19 crisis began hitting the US, didn't even get over that when my sister required an emergency bathroom remodel due to old pipes showing their age in the worst ways. A week with work shut down wasn't too bad but I wasn't able to work on this chapter all that much. But with work open again but with reduced, and reducing staff I've been having to take care of areas that would normally have a team to do. Thus leaving me with little energy to do much of anything.

I hope you all are dealing with the pandemic well enough and doing your best to stay safe and healthy, not to mention sane from cabin fever. Hopefully this will help distract from the worries of earth and allow you to dive into the world of the Elder Scrolls for a bit.

Lastly, the lyrics used were the chorus of _Another Irish Drinking Song_ by _Da Vinci's Notebook._ It's a great song to listen to for lifting your spirits, as are many of their songs.

Also, if anyone thinks I should rewrite the first chapter to make it match the rest of the story a bit better, please leave a review. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing and doing what I can to keep the lore of TES correct while keeping the characters of RWBY true to themselves.

Thank you and stay safe in these trying times!


	13. At the End of the Rainbow

Empire Rising

At the End of the Rainbow

"Now we're off to Daggerfall." Weiss states blandly from her seat in the wagon.

At the moment Ruby and Ren were at the reins of their respective wagons. Weiss didn't hate the wagons, it was better than trying to walk all the way to their destination, but she didn't like it either. She couldn't just sit down and read like Blake and Denko did, Ren did that too. Ruby and Nora had a habit of playing I Spy. That wasn't so bad, even accounting for them playing while riding separately, but when it would go fifty rounds…

There were only so many times someone could guess at green grass and leaves and keep their sanity. Whenever Denko joined in, he'd find something so meaningless and easy to overlook while Yang… she didn't want to think about it, underclothes are meant to stay hidden.

Still she pulled her own map of the region to see what's ahead. Unfortunately, while they were in Orc dominated lands there was little of the population that would cater to them in much of any way and little to see that they knew of. The known strongholds were highly unlikely to be as welcoming as the one they left. At least Ruby was minding her own business even as she hummed a song to herself.

Then there was Yang and Denko. The blondes had a game of cards going and betting with crackers. Blake sat nearby reading her book while occasionally glancing over at the game. That didn't stop her ears from swiveling around as they scanned their surroundings.

"Hey Yang?" If Denko was trying to be annoying again it wouldn't be hard to push him off the back. A little stretch and a shove and the Bosmer would have a mudball for a snack. She did it once before and she'd do it again.

"You never told me about your home. What's it like?" There was an odd question. To be fair, she never asked the sisters either, mostly so they wouldn't ask her in turn. Even Blake showed signs that she was paying attention, if her eyes moving slower over the pages while one ear stayed fixed on the blondes was any indication.

"Hehe, home. It's been a while since we sent a letter to dad." The blonde sister says as her mind wanders. "Uncle Qrow too."

"Let's see, it's been… no, no. Um…two months ago!" Ruby jumps into the conversation.

"Try four months sis. Four months." Yang laughs at her sisters' expense, especially when she began to pout. "Don't worry about it, we'll just send them one from the next town." The younger girl cheered at the plan. The elf sat patiently for the sisters to finish as he messed with the cards in his hands. Weiss settled back to find a comfy spot to listen, to live vicariously with a happy family.

"We grew up on a small island called Patch. It's just off the coast of the main island of Yneslea. Technically it's under Imperial rule since Uriel the Fifth tried to expand to Akavir. But that's been in name only for the most part. Great Grandpa somewhere-down-the-line Xiao Long was part of the legions but wound up settling down on the big island when the expedition turned into a bust." Yang explains.

"Great Grandpa somewhere-down-the-line?" Weiss couldn't hold back the mocking tone.

"Hey! It's been a long time since he's been around and if you wanna check when, we'd have to go home and look at his scroll." Yang countered. Denko raised an eyebrow as he put the cards away and leaned back. Blake marked her page and closed the book. "Anyway, Grandpa apparently fell for an Akavir girl while he was there and she had strong opinions."

"This should be good." Denko smirks.

"She insisted that if he wanted to marry her, he'd have to take an Akavir name. So, he found as close to a direct translation as he could find for his name and that's how he went from Sun Dragon to Xiao Long. It's been held in the family since then." Yang was proud of her ancestry and it showed.

"But if Ruby is your sister, why doesn't she go by Ruby Xiao Long?" Blake finally spoke up but the question immediately deflated Yang's pride.

"Because Rose is my moms name. I keep her name and emblem in her memory." Ruby's voice was quiet, barely heard over the horse and wagon yet it was clear to all. The four girls were quiet as they thought of their parents. The male among them was quiet out of respect for a time.

"Wait, I thought that there wasn't any human left in Akavir. That the Tsaesi wiped them all out." The Bosmer voices the question in his mind.

Yang was grateful for the end of the silence and a slight change of subject. "From what I heard from the Elders back home, the humans on the islands were the ones that sailed away but whatever happened back on the mainland seemed to be lost."

"So, you're part Akaviri?"

"In more than just name, at least. Not many true blooded Akavir families left. Most like ours are mixed with Nords like Dad or Imperials from the Emperors failure."

"Huh, that's kinda neat." Denko laughs. "What was home like for you?"

"Well… Dad and Uncle Qrow are trainers at the local combat school. But Qrow will often leave on missions and come back with great stories of his adventures."

"Combat school?" Blake inquires. Sure, there were militias, armies, mercenary groups, city guards, and the Fighters Guild but few did more than a basic training to weed out the weakest and combat takes care of the rest, either in actual battle or training.

"Yeah! Signal was great!" Ruby was now as excited as ever.

"Ruby, take the fork on the left." Weiss cut in and watched as the cloaked girl steered the horse and Ren followed behind them before turning her attention back to the conversation.

"We have a lot of traditions based on fighting. Nearly everyone is trained to fight somehow when we're kids and while we're there everyone learns to read and write, learn some history, a lot of the basics of just about everything really." Yang explains.

Ruby couldn't hold in her excitement of thinking about hone, she was bouncing in her seat. "And with the Guild and town guard having their headquarters right next to the school you get to see them and their weapons. Hear all of their stories of fighting all kinds of monsters!"

"Some of them are the teachers like Dad and Uncle Qrow!" Yang laughs at the memories.

"And there's all the fun holiday festivals! Like the New Life and Veterans Day!"

"Don't forget our favorite- CASTLE DAY!" The sisters proclaimed the holiday in sync. They were oblivious to the blank stares as they relapsed into memories of holidays passed.

"Castle Day?" Weiss asks for the three of them.

"Yeah! Castle Day! It's usually held right after the harvest and it's a week long festival for the whole island! The Champions Week is for getting through another year, a good harvest, and the fights! Battles won in the past, the spars that are held almost all week, and Castle Day!" Ruby replied at a rapid pace and had to pause to breath. While her audience were able to understand most of what she said, they were left in the dark about the subject in question.

Luckily Yang was both used to her sister and had caught onto their confusion. "The castles at home aren't like the ones here in High Rock or Imperial forts. They're more elaborate so they look as good as they are at defending the people in them. There are all sorts of winding roads lined with tall walls, dead ends, raised pathways only accessible to the defenders, bridges, ponds, and trees, and open courtyards with narrow entrances on both ends.

On Castle Day, the townsfolk split into teams, one to defend the castle and the other to attack. It's pretty fun."

Weiss was incredulous, "People fight to take the castle for fun? How many people die every year?" The Khajiit and Bosmer waited for more information.

"Relax Ice Queen." The blonde laughs. "I don't think I've heard of anyone dying while we were there, a few broken bones maybe.

Ruby laughed softly at her white-haired friend. "Yeah! We only use training weapons and padded armor. Even the arrowheads have been swapped out for wax balls."

Blake was curious. "How do you choose teams? Sounds like a lot of rivalry could start from this."

"Lottery." Was the deadpan answer from both sisters.

"Lottery?" The Khajiit repeats.

"Keeps people from getting used to one side and prevents rivalries from forming for long. I think the record for staying on one side is about eight years." Yang clarifies with a shrug.

"How can you tell which side wins? If you're just using training equipment, it's not like anyone is just gonna stay down." Denko asks. Breaking into the main chamber and capturing the king or forcing the attackers to surrender seemed obvious enough.

"That's where the mages were geniuses!" Ruby was getting too excited to sit still. Might have to change drivers early.

Still the statement piqued Weiss' interest as a mage herself. "And how is that?"

"Everyone participating has to wear a tabard and head band, always red or yellow depending on which side you're on. But the mages have a whole bunch of enchantments on them so they will indicate 'injuries' and 'deaths' by turning black depending on where you were hit and how hard. If you 'die' the hole thing turns black and paralyzes you so you drop to the ground!" Ruby explains. Weiss was worried that the younger girl would fall off her seat in her excited squirms and twisting even as she marveled at the complexity of the enchantments used.

"Is magic allowed?" Denko asks before the mage could.

"Nope, they tried using small scrolls with a simple pushing spell a while ago and people were getting thrown in all directions. Including the users." Yang answered the question. "There's still a bunch of those scrolls around, sold only during the festival for laughs, shows, and defense."

"Defense?"

"A non-lethal, usually, defense to push an attacker away while also you further out of their reach. Also makes you feel like you're flying if you aim them at the ground."

"Spoken from experience?" The Bosmer laughs.

"Best done at the beach so you can land in the water. At least the sand is fairly soft too." Ruby had to answer as Yang was laughing too hard to give an answer beyond nodding her head.

Weiss was rather skeptical of the whole event. "What's the point of having citizens fight each other at the castle? Sounds like it would be a waste of time." As much as she appreciated the thought of the magic used but she couldn't help but be cynical of the whole thing.

The blonde woman finally stopped laughing enough to answer that question. "Dad always said it was preparation in case we were ever attacked. With a good chunk of the towns able to fight and have experience defending or attacking the castle we'd know all of the best ways to fight them off and recognize any strategy they'd try to use. Plus, it was a fun bonding experience."

"Well…. When you put it that way." The battlemage couldn't think of a rebuttal at the moment and had to let the matter drop.

The wagon came to an abrupt halt that sent them all falling over as well as high alert. The caution was well warranted as over a dozen bandits surrounded them. A glance back showed that their friends were in a similar situation. A peek over the side revealed how the wagons stopped so quickly- heavy ropes had been lifted from small trenches that held back the wheels. Said ropes were held taut by a pair of Senche-Raht Khajiit, their massive size and strength being put to use.

"Hand over all your valuables and we'll let you live!" A tall Imperial woman decked out in elaborate heavy armor ordered, her sword already in hand. While the apparent leader of the bandits was showing her bravado, the others were taking notice of something else, namely how calm their targets were and, in some cases, showed annoyance, even pity.

Unfortunately, it was Nora who volunteered herself for their response. "Yeah right lady. Move out of the way and I won't break your legs."

Honestly it was hard to tell what hit the highwaymen harder, the dismissive tone or the threat. Either way it didn't matter because the Nords hammer hit hardest when a Dunmer rushed the cart. The mers head, or what was left of it, was relocated into his ribcage. Maybe that move got the point across or maybe it was the fact that she had casually done so with one hand before easily hefting the massive chunk of steel to rest on her shoulder.

With that small distraction, spells and weapons were trained on the bandits waiting for them to make the next move. Denko's electrified hands were pointed at an Orc and Imperial men, Yang readied a large fireball between her hands as she grinned at a pair of Argonians. Weiss had summoned her Twilight Matriarch and a frost spell created a mist in her right hand. Ren trained his dart launchers at a pair of Bosmer, Pyrrha readied her spear, Blake and Jaune drew their swords, and Nora bounced her weapon on her shoulder a bit with a wild grin.

But perhaps the most persuasive was Ruby's deployment of Crescent Rose, the massive scythe being deployed with a twirl with the bandit leader looking down the barrel at the end. The Imperial paled at the display but after a moment seemed to regain her resolve. That was until Ruby ensured that a bolt was ready with a click of the loader.

"We don't want to hurt you." The cloaked girl warns, a tense silence follows. "Well, most of us don't." Nora giggled as being the guilty party, Yang's grin grew wider with the flames in her hands growing a little more intense. "Let us pass and we'll forget this ever happened."

The bandits looked around at each other in confusion. Some looked like they'd fight and damn the consequences, others were ready to flee for the hills. Regardless they turned to the Imperial for her orders.

She finally ended the stare down. "Let them pass." The ropes lowered, allowing for the wagons to move freely again as the bandits lowered their weapons and moved out of the way. While Ruby and Ren holstered their weapons so they could drive the wagons, everyone else remained ready for an attack. One that never came.

A few minutes of riding passed before Nora spoke up loud enough for the other cart to hear. "Are we really going to let them go?" Ruby slowed so Ren could pull up closer.

"Us? Sure. Doesn't mean that we won't tell the closest city guards." Denko answers with a smirk. Weiss had already withdrawn her map and began marking the location for easy reference with a patrol.

"Is this how you do all of your dealings?" Yang was teasing the Bosmer who was looking around the area.

He shrugs a little while answering. "Depends on who I'm dealing with. I'm not afraid to slip certain tidbits of dirty deeds to certain people if I know I'd be relatively safe."

"Relatively safe?" Blake questions. At least she still hasn't pulled out her book yet.

"Certain places where I've been and go long enough to know the people in charge. Gives a chance to know how they operate. Some guards want to make a name for themselves and won't let any infraction of the law go unanswered. They are easy enough to lead around so long as they don't know you. To them you are just a concerned citizen doing their civic duty and they'll rush off without a second thought." The Elf explains.

"Others, usually captains and the like, are willing to let little things slide if that means they can get the bigger problems. For example, the Imperial City's Waterfront District. So many of the people there were and still are so poor that it actually costs more to try collecting the taxes than what they'd get. So, they don't bother"

"That's… actually understandable from both a financial and moral respective." Weiss comments to herself. Her mind drifted to how her father would handle a situation like that, but given what she knew of the man, he'd collect the taxes anyway then try to make himself look better by providing some food for the people. She had no delusions that most of it would be the goods that the standard vendor would throw out so he could get it free or at a massive discount.

"Then there are the others who go a little further, the insiders for the Thieves Guild and the Brotherhood providing information in exchange for protection."

"Protection? How" Ren's curiosity was piqued.

"Well, the Thieves Guild usually provides a small sack of gold on occasion along with making it clear that your home is not to be touched. It's pretty much the same for the Brotherhood. Although both will ask that those guards, if they happen to catch their members in the act, to 'lose' them in the pursuit"

"They jut let them get away?" Jaune asks.

"They have to sell it to anyone watching, trip on a bucket sitting on the street, slipping on a curb on in a puddle, not run as fast… stuff like that. The member of either group is likely to treat them as they would any other guard and run away as best they can."

"And now you have us all wrapped up in illegal activities." Weiss sighs.

"Hey! I asked, you accepted. Got no one to blame but yourself there. Besides, look at the perks you're getting." Denko shrugs off the accusation.

"I'd rather be doing my research than getting involved with thieves and murderers." The mage turns her nose up at the concept.

"Like your father." Blake mutters darkly. Weiss didn't give any indication that she heard despite everyone in the cart being able to.

All conversation died besides the occasional directions given to Ruby. It wasn't silent as the Bosmer had spotted Jaune and Pyrrha sharpening and cleaning their weapons and followed suite. The gentle and rhythmic scrapping of his whetstone over his blades filled the wagon, at some point Ruby began humming a tune in time. Yang couldn't resist joining in once she recognized what was happening, soon followed by Weiss. Blake was focused on her book but that didn't stop her tail from swaying with the music.

"Hmmm…"

"Is something wrong Jaune?" Pyrrha asks upon seeing his concerned expression.

"Maybe it's nothing. It just seems like there's a lot of mood swings going on in the other wagon." He explains.

"It is difficult to hear much of what they are saying." Ren adds.

"Women." Nora's offhanded dismissal snapped everyone's attention to her. "What? They're all girls except Denko but he uses Sheogorath's Ring a lot so we could say he's half girl, right?"

The other three were used to the Nords often odd way of seeing the world but had to concede the argument to her this time.

Wayrest was a large city, and that was putting it mildly. It's high stone walls fortified the city from attacks, its castle served as a last form of defense but rarely used as such. As both the major city of the Stormhaven region and the greatest port in the Illiac Bay, it could afford to keep its defenses well maintained, the roads clean, and the forests thriving. Of course, it still had its fair share of beggars, criminals, and slums like the district known as Dreughside. Even then the people held some pride in their homes and did what they could to make them look like more than the shacks that they were.

Jaune Arc was leading his group of friends through the city, occasionally pointing out landmarks like the bank, the castle, blacksmith, the market district, all as he lead them through the city gate on the opposite side that they had entered to a cluster of buildings dominated by one of enormous scale.

"Wow! Is this your house?" Ruby was certainly excited about the whole thing. "It's so big!"

"It certainly comes close in size to the Schnee mansion." Weiss comments, a few heads turning at that particular revelation. Not all of them were her friends.

The Breton was nervous about many things and this was one of them about coming home. "Hehe, yeah well, most of this is just the inn. Our actual home is in the back."

"How about we get inside so we can rest on something that isn't moving?" Yang led the way to the doors and opened them, leaving Denko outside to hold the door for everyone.

The inside was quite cozy, the pillars and arches holding the floors above were decorated with numerous carvings with some depicting short stories or simple artistic designs. More than a few were actually painted to draw attention and add color to the spacious room that was only broken by a few walls between pillars that housed the stairs going to other levels as well as serving as partitions allowing for some privacy of the patrons.

In the center is a large stone-lined fireplace that held a merrily burning flame providing light and some heat. A long counter ran along the wall to the left of the entrance, behind that lay a large kitchen area filled with the expected tools and various foods and drinks. Several employees could be seen moving through the tables, working the kitchen, or the counter. Everyone of them wearing a uniform bearing the Arc family crest, a double crescent.

"I'll be with you in a moment!" A girl in the midst of the tables shouted over to the group, barely giving them a glance as she poured some wine for a customer having an early dinner.

A brief detour to the bar to return the bottle was made before she walked over. "welcome to the Rainbow Inn, let us help you on your way to rest." She says in a way that indicated that she had said the line hundreds of times before but still put in the effort to sound happy. "How may I-." She paused as her eyes went wide.

"Jaune!" She shouts with joy and rushes her taller sibling and gives him a big hug. Pyrrha was closest to the Bretons and couldn't help but thank the stars that her friend still wore his armor or he might suffer some bruised ribs with how hard he was being squeezed.

"It's been weeks since I last saw you!" The girl admonishes him as she lets go allowing Jaune to breathe easier. "You haven't even sent a letter this season."

"I know Verte, I'm sorry. It… we've been really busy lately and we've been on the road a lot." The tall man assured the girl, now known as Verte. Anything he was going to say next was cut off as two pairs of feet were approaching fast.

Everyone made sure to move out of the way as two more girls tackled Jaune, though Pyrrha helped to brace him so he could remain standing, if with some difficulty due to the pair of young women hanging off of him. Some of the patrons gave them odd looks before going back to whatever they were doing. Any of the staff that saw the actions of the girls merely shook their heads with a smile and returned to their duties.

"Bleu! Violette!" The tall Breton managed to get out even as he awkwardly hugged them back, a hug that turned to him tapping their backs to signal that he needed air as he began to turn red.

Finally, the girls let go and stood by Verte giving the assembled group a chance to have a good look at them. They all wore the same uniform consisting of a short white dress, black pants and shoes, and a small apron that was slightly yellowed from use. The Arc crest was prominent on their chests, back, and aprons as well as a bow to keep their hair back. What was hard to miss was that the bow and crests for each girl were different colors- green, blue, and purple. Given that Jaune's crest was always yellow, it was little wonder why the place was called the Rainbow Inn.

The family resemblance was strong as well, they were all blonde, blue eyed, fir-skinned, tall and lean. Verte had long hair that fell in waves, Violette kept a bob-cut, while Bleu had a short mop-top that was only slightly tamed by her bow.

"You know dad was pretty angry that you left us Jaune." Bleu states as she crosses her arms.

"Yeah, I know. I read the letter."

"And upset at taking Crocea Mors." Violette adds with her hands on her hips.

"I know."

"But he's glad that you were able to save me from those cultists." Verte says with a smile as she holds her hands behind herself.

"I kno- wait he was?" The young man was shocked from hi depression at the revelation.

"I told him how you took them down even when you were outnumbered. He was pretty impressed." She clarifies.

"And now that you're here you can tell him yourself!" Bleu was excited but her words made her brother nervous.

"Dad should be back from shopping anytime now. I'll check the kitchen if he's there." Violette says as she walks off with a skip in her step.

"So… this is family? Kinda weird if you ask me." Nora cut the tension like a hot knife through butter causing nearly all of the group to laugh and relieve their stress.

"How have you been Verte? I know I didn't really-." Jaune was cut off by the door opening and smacking him in the back of the head and knocking the man to the floor.

"Sorry about that." A man's voice came from behind a small open crate piled high with various supplies. He stepped through the door seeing the small crowd of people around him but not the blonde on the floor. "Ah, Verte! Sorry about the interruption but there's a fight around the corner. Verte, you help our guests. Bleu, help me get this to the kitchen before I get back out there and settle things."

Verte looks down at her brother with some sympathy as the man walks away with her sister. He moaned as he stood up with Pyrrha's help, all the while rubbing his head.

"I'm guessing that was your dad, huh?" Yang asks as the man disappears into the kitchen. "Gotta say he looks like you."

"Actually, since Jaune is his son, it would be that Jaune looks like him." Ren corrects.

"Oh, okay. Still if you age like that, you'll have no problems." Yang comments causing the male Breton to blush.

"And eight kids! He must be doing something right! Hey Jau-!" Ren clapped his hand over Nora's mouth, cutting off whatever she was going to say. Both Arcs present as well as Pyrrha were as red as the latter's hair at the implications that the Nord made.

"Is she always like that?" Verte manages to ask the Dunmer who kept his hand where it was.

"Unfortunately, yes." He replies as he remains aloof to the Nord who was now leaning into his chest.

While they spoke, Denko watched as three young men ran by the window with the elder Arc on their heels with a wooden sword in his hand. Ruby and Yang laughed at the sight while Weiss scoffed. Blake was silent as she had her nose in a book again. A soft golden light lit the area as Jaune applied a healing spell to himself.

Moments later the door swung open again, catching Jaune's shoulder, thankfully protected by his pauldron. The sudden stop did catch the openers attention. "Sorry about that." The man says as he steps inside only to find a familiar group. "Verte! I thought you were helping our guests, not socializing at the door!"

"Why don't you take a look as to why we are still here?" The green crested girl was quick to respond with a knowing smile. Bleu and Violette walked into the room at the same time.

"What are you…?" His retort died when he saw a man that looked much like himself in his younger years. "Jaune?" The man was stunned.

"Um… hey dad." The younger man was once again enveloped in a crushing hug, although this time some strain could be heard from the armor. Finally, the reunion was over and the men separated, the elder holding his son at arms-length to take a good look at him.

A smile split his face. "I'm glad to see that you've come home safe son."

"Y-you're not mad at me for running off?" Jaune was confused as his expectations were shattered at the greeting. Then the previous expectations were put back together when he received a hard cuff to the back of his head and a fist to the gut where the armor didn't cover.

"Not anymore. That-", He points to his sons head, "was for doing something so foolish. And that-" He moves his finger to point down, "-was for stealing from your own family."

"I should have figured you'd still be mad." Jaune wheezes as he held his side.

"If I was still mad, you wouldn't be standing. That was to drive the point home."

"Got it."

"At least you kept what you took and kept it in good condition. How's Crocea Mors?"

Jaune draws the blade and expands the shield allowing the older man to complete his inspection. "Not bad, a few more nicks and dents than I remember but it still looks good."

"Hehehe…. Thanks." Jaune was both embarrassed and nervous yet somewhat relieved. The elder Arc dropped into a nearby chair and gestured for them to follow suite. They scattered themselves among the nearby tables with Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren sitting with the older man. The smaller tables were occupied by Ruby and Weiss at one table, Blake by herself in the corner, while the blondes took their own table. Their weapons and packs were set nearby their owners.

"Verte, could you get us some drinks? Maybe something to eat for our guests?" The young woman runs off with a spring in her step to fulfil her father's request.

"Now I believe some introductions are in order! I'm Jonathan Arc and I run this place with my wife, Joan."

"Where is mom?" Jaune asks as he looks around the establishment.

"Probably still sleeping, had a long." Jonathan responds nonchalantly but his sons questioning look forced him to elaborate. "Big party here last night. Joan, Rouge, Blanc, and Noire took care of things but barely got to bed when Violette, Bleu, Verte, and myself had to get up for this morning."

"I guess we'll let them sleep then." Jaune was clearly getting relaxed as far more familiar situations came to bear. "How's Saffron doing?"

"She's doing alright in Daggerfall. She and Terra had a little boy of their own last year."

"I'm an uncle? I know they had a great wedding but I didn't know they were expecting."

"You missed your own sisters' wedding? Shame on you!" Nora was quick to accuse, complete with standing on her chair and finger outstretched. Luckily Ren was between them as it was likely she'd be poking Jaune in the chest otherwise.

"What? No Nora! The whole family was there. It happened about a month or two before you three came to town." Jaune hastily explained to the excitable Nord.

"And you left with a boy who could hardly swing a sword!" Jonathan laughs. "Sorry, but we still haven't gotten around to introductions."

Jaune stood up to do the job." Dad, these are my friends and teammates- Pyrrha Nikos-"

"Hello." The redhead waves.

"-Nora Valkyrie-"

"Hello!" The short girl was much louder.

"-And Lie Ren." The Dunmer merely nodded in response.

Ruby jumped to her feet making her red cloak flutter from the movement. "I'm Ruby Rose!" The young girl gestured to the blonde woman. "She's my sister, Yang Xiao Long-"

Yang gave a cheeky salute. "Hey there!"

"-My best friend Weiss Schnee-"

"Hello Mr. Arc."

"-And Blake Belladonna!"

"Hello." The Khajiit's voice was quiet.

"I'm Denko." The Bosmer says with a nod.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Verte was actually alone as everyone had to leave for a short time to attend to one task or another. Or at least she thought she was alone.

"Nine owls roost in the eaves of the rainbow." A voice softly carries through the room, startling the green themed Arc. She spun from her tray of fruits with a knife in hand only to find a young Breton girl with dark brown hair wearing a wine-red dress.

"Oh, it's you Babette!" The taller girl relaxes against the counter yet the girl took note of the knife remaining in her hand and smiled.

"Good reactions. Now if you had noticed me before I said anything… that would be better. But I understand your distraction." Babette was jovial. The pair had gotten to know each other a bit over the week that the smaller girl stayed t the inn, better than most guests thanks to their meeting the night before she checked in.

After a very filling dinner that included all of the Arcs and the eight friends that left the staff to run thing for the night, everyone turned in for the night. The family had taken the time to catch up with their son/ brother with the stories of their adventures lasting hours.

Denko was the only one awake in the room he shared with Ren, Jaune had taken the opportunity to spend the night with his family. A knock at the door drew his attention from his book. Quietly, he crossed the room and opened the door to see who it was.

The door was allowed to swing fully open when he recognized the visitor. Entering the room was a young Breton girl in a dark red dress with brown hair and a smirk.

"Didn't know you were in High Rock." He states casually as he sits by the small table. She remained standing but leaned against the wall after closing the door.

"I had to take care of getting arrangements for our pay that your kids earned some time ago. Been taking some contracts in the region since I heard you were coming this way."

"Good food and warm beds weren't an incentive?" The Bosmer jokes.

"It also helps to have good company." She smiles and shows her fangs.

Denko's face became serious, "You didn't make her your Child, did you?" His tone carried a hint of warning.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry your pretty little head, she's still mortal. Actually, after the contract was finalized, we became good friends. It's nice to have someone to talk to outside of work."

"Uh-huh."

"In case you're wondering, yes, I did use your suggestion. Or rather your charges to settle the debt. If you need to come back through here again the passphrase is 'The owls roost in the eaves of the rainbow'. Just remember to tell Verte how many are with you."

Denko crosses his arms as he tries to commit the phrase to memory. "Anything else?"

"Nothing right now, you have your hands full enough with whatever you are doing." She says as she pushes herself off the wall.

"How much do you know?" Denko was curious if the Night Mother passed on details.

She scoffs at the question. "Not enough to help you in this grand plan but I'm not really about to stick my neck out to look either. But I keep my eyes and ears open and our contacts re expanding." She opens the door.

"Going for a midnight stroll Babette?" The Bosmer teases the much older girl.

She grins to show a flash of fang and her eyes flashed a bright amber. "Maybe." The door closes softly.

Denko sighs as he leans back in his chair and runs his hands through his hair. "So… how much did you hear?"

"Everything." Ren answered. A glance showed that the mer hadn't moved at all in the past hour.

"Should we tell the others?"

"We likely won't have to. Not much was said of importance to us."

Denko sighs again before standing and stretching his arms over his head and bent backwards until he felt a series of satisfying pops from his spine. "Just needed a second opinion."

"I try to be as objective as possible." The candle providing light in the room was blown out bathing the pair in darkness.

 **AN:** Not much in the way of action this chapter but we did get a lot of background for Ruby and Yang's home. Given that the info for the islands between Tamriel and Akavir is almost nonexistent in terms of culture, people, etc. beyond being a great staging ground for the Akaviri invasion by the Empire. So I had to blend that info with making things up while combining elements of RWBY... it's an odd balancing act.

On the other hand we finally get to see Jaune come home and seeing the results of his actions from Brothers and Sisters.

As always, constructive criticism is welcome. A little help to make sure I keep the Elder Scrolls lore correct (no Dragon Breaks have happened for a long time) and ideas to help keep thing interesting- I have a lot written down for the base of the story but I may be able work the ideas of my readers into this. Of course those contributors will get a shout out for their help. Thanks to UltimateEchoEcho217 for not just favoriting and following Empire Rising but also a few other of my stories. The discriptions have been adjusted a bit to show their status as most of them are now dead, one or two I feel need to be rewritten if I'm going to continue them, and only Storm Fleet I feel can be continued as it is... if I get back to working on them.

One more thing, I've brought it up in earlier AN's but I feel that the first chapter, maybe the second as well, may need to be rewritten to flow and match the rest of Empire Rising. They were written before I really thought of adding RWBY to the mix but after I had it planned to be after the events of Skyrim. Too many fics that are just a retelling of the same old story that lead to us putting hundreds of hours into playtime as the Dragonborn. Let me know what you think, please and thank you.


	14. Anyone getting seasick?

Empire Rising

Anyone Getting Seasick?

A week later the Arc family saw off the team of nine with a large breakfast and even gave them some food for the road. Of course, the food for their travels that was planned for was paid for, even if it was at cost to the large family. Denko refused to simply take from them after the restful week that they found they needed, badly. That didn't mean that they mooched off of the hospitality either, the rooms and food was paid for- through Verte in agreement with the contract with the Brotherhood. That also meant that they helped out around the Rainbow Inn, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and embarrassing the young blonde knight with tales of their travels. Jaune certainly seemed relaxed as any issues with his family had been resolved and he was looking forward to seeing his nephew and sister.

Apparently, subtle inquiries were made by Denko's connections in the various factions and they had found a ship and captain that was likely to help them. Thankfully the Breton's took pride in their infrastructure and kept the roads well maintained likely as both a result and encouragement for merchants moving their goods and thus creating a stable and healthy economy.

Camlorn was a brief stop, the small port served the region well as a step between Daggerfall and Wayrest on the roads and between Daggerfall and Northpoint by sea. Thus, the city was small but prosperous by trade and its artisans and known for its baked goods. Ruby and Nora spent a good chunk of their own money on pastries.

"Ugh…" Yang grumbles as she lounged in the wagon, not bothering to wear her armor for the day so she could look it over and handle any repairs she could while traveling. Her simple shirt and pants kept her comfortable in the sun and light breeze.

"Now what?" Weiss was irritated at the interruption while she looked over some of her research notes.

The blonde pokes her middle, "I think I'm putting on weight."

"Really?" Weiss deadpans.

"We have been spending a lot of time either in wagons or staying at inns instead of scrounging around Dwemer ruins like before." Blake put in her two septims while never taking her eyes off of her book.

The mage narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized her friend. "You must be imagining things and even if true, you are exaggerating." Her tone was as cold and dismissive as her nickname made her out to be.

"Besides what Weiss said, does it look like he cares?" Ruby chimed in with a cheeky grin from her place in the drivers' seat.

Yang looked down at the sleeping Bosmer who was using her lap as a pillow, any frustration on her face melted away. Apparently the mer had been up all night defending their camp from a pack of wolves. It was credit to him that none of them had been awoken during the attack. As a result, he didn't last five minutes once they started moving before he collapsed, though his impact on her legs res reduced by his head bouncing off her generous chest first.

If Blake was paying attention to anyone at all, she didn't show it. Weiss continued to pointedly ignore everything beyond opening a small portal that lead to a pocket realm of Oblivion within which she kept hers and Ruby's research notes, experiments, and supplies along with Blake's small library and some spare clothes, parts, and other essential. She had taught her three friends the spell and attuned them to the realm so that they could have access but they had all found it to be easiest to get Weiss to open it for them as she was the only one who could consistently open the portal. Yang was lucky if she could gain access on every fifth try.

The first time Denko had seen them use it he'd joked about letting Hermaeus Mora guard the realm within Apocrypha. It didn't go over well with Weiss if the Icy Spears she had cast at him was any indication.

Ruby glanced behind their cart for a change of view, watching Nora mindlessly kicking her legs as she sat at the back of their wagon. The peaceful sight of Jaune and Pyrrha working the reigns together while Ren meditated was something that she wanted to preserve. Yet she knew that they gave up the peaceful life to be warriors to allow others to have more peaceful moments themselves.

Weiss and Blake were reading, the former having an alchemy tome perched on her knees while the latter held a familiar book about the Hero of Kvatch. Yang was inspecting her gauntlets for signs of wear and cleaning debris off, occasionally running a hand through the elves hair as he slept. Apparently, he'd rolled over since she last looked and nuzzled his face into her stomach to block the sunlight.

If only she had an instant way of capturing the image… that would be a great idea to create! She'd have to talk with Weiss about it to go over the potential ways to make it real. Of course, the Schnee would also likely see a great amount of profit in such an invention.

"-And rode the dragon from Jorvaskr to Red Mountain where the scaly beast dove into the lava! I couldn't see anything but boy was it hot! We burst out into some Dwarven ruin filled with gold and jewels everywhere with me still holding onto its spines and hitting its arse with Magnhild!" Nora was telling her friends about a dream she had, friends who had long gotten used to tuning her out and nodding along. Ren knew her the longest but still managed to listen to her ramblings enough to critique her stories on occasion.

Still, they had a running bet that if they compiled the tales she spun and compared them to whatever Sheogorath could come up with, the Mad God might be the one that sounds less crazy. Then again, that was part of her charm- short and cute, fiercely loyal to her friends, insane strength, love for explosions, and a habit of breaking the legs of her enemies. Maybe it was something about the massive hammer she lugged around yet wielded it with ease. You get used to her but rarely bored.

"Nora, that makes no sense. There's no way you could survive being in lava." Pyrrha was trying to be kind, as usual, to the Nord as she drove.

"I doubt even a dragon would last long in lava either." Jaune adds.

"The Dwarven ruin at Red Mountain is the most believable part." Ren comments as he adjusts a spring within his ranged weaponry.

"Ahh! Don't say that Renny! You know my dream was true." She pokes the Dunmer in the shoulder while she pouted.

"It was just a dream, Nora. Just keep having dreams like that and Vermina won't be paying you a visit." He didn't spare her a glance as he was both used to her antics and busy concentrating on maintaining his weapons.

"Bah! You're no fun today." She crosses her arms under her chest and slumps against the side of the wagon.

"You could make sure your hammer isn't going to break." Jaune pipes up as he polishes the backside of his shield.

The Nord sat up ram-rod straight at the mere thought of such a thing happening before grabbing her greatest non-sentient ally and dragged it into her lap to begin examining it closely for damage.

Things were quiet for a while, Ren and Jaune had finished their maintenance and were relaxing as best they could while Nora rummaged around in her pack. Neither male thought too much of it until the Nord began pulling out some alchemy supplies. It was then that piqued Ren's interest as there wasn't much going on. Then he began to recognize a pattern to the ingredients being laid out… a pattern that set off warning bells in his head.

"Please wait until we are not moving to mix up your explosives Nora." He warns catching everyone's attention. All eyes turned to the Nord who froze in her preparations.

"And make sure you do it away from camp. I don't want to be too close if they go off, again." Jaune pleads as he eyes her current stash of finished arrows and her materials to make them.

"Spoilsports." Nora pouts before putting her things back.

The city of Daggerfall was vast, not just inside the walls that protected the people and the castle, but extending outside of those walls to the Illiac Bay and to the Eltheric Ocean where the extensive docks were bustling. That's not including the homes, markets, inns, and taverns for the workers between the harbors and the city proper.

It was on the docks that overlooked the ocean where Denko was wandering around. Blake was nearby at the fish market, the Khajiit looking like she was on a Moon Sugar high as she looked over the selection. June had taken his team to visit his sister while Ruby and Weiss visited the local Hall of the Synod. Yang decided to wander the markets for any supplies they might need, especially if they were staying with the Cotta-Arc for any length of time so they wouldn't be as much of a burden as the house was small enough as it was. The small house was actually a part of the reason few of the group stayed inside at all. But Saffron appreciated the help with looking after her son Adrian.

It wasn't exactly hard to spot the ship he was told to look for and so Denko made his way to its pier. On the deck the captain was guiding his crew. Guiding? All of the other ship captains he'd seen were either barking orders or in a tavern somewhere in the city, possibly for drinks and for someone to spend some time in bed with for the night.

Still with that odd thought in the back of his mind, the Bosmer waited for a small break in the noise and mimicked the call of the Red Peeper as he was instructed. A second call was required to get the captain to find him, once spotted the mer waved him up the gangplank.

On deck, Denko found himself among his fellow Wood Elves along with a pair of Orcs. An Alfic Khajiit sat by a large manifest marking down numbers and symbols as she watched the crew carefully. An Argonian woman climbed over the side of the deck with a full sack of unidentifiable items that soaked the floor as she went below deck with it.

"Welcome aboard the Falinesti Faithful! I'm her Captain, Narwalis." The elderly mer introduced himself. The Captain was looked to be easily around five hundred years old, his skin well-tanned and wrinkled from life on the sea. Tall for a Wood Elf with greying dark brown hair while wearing traditional Bosmeri leathers that exposed his chest and abdomen as well as his toes and heels.

"A carryover from my younger days at sea. Had a habit of keeping a small dagger under my hat, some of the crew thought it was a horn and gave me the name Narwalis. My name is too long and even I get tongue-tied saying it on occasion. So, the name stuck." The Captain explains with a shrug. He motioned to a chair in front of a small desk behind which he sat on a larger chair with padding.

Trying to get things back on topic after the small detour, Denko asks as he takes the offered seat. "Did the scout tell you why I was looking for a ship?"

"All they knew was that it was for some exploration out west of here. Seen the lass asking a couple of other captains in town and out on the docks. Apparently, she paid us all fifty septims for our time to listen to her." Narwalis explains before leaning forward. "Now what is it that you'd like my ship and crew for?"

"Nearly three months ago now, Y'ffre spoke to me. Told me where to look for Falinesti."

"Truly?" The old sailor was surprised and his curiosity was heightened.

Denko nodded in response before continuing. "Y'ffre wasn't alone. They manifested from their devotees and gave me my current mission."

"Who?"

"The Nine Divines and the Daedric Princes with a few others."

The elder sucked in a breath at the revelation. Slowly he gathered his thoughts. "What did they want?"

"A safe haven for several groups, most of which haven't been seen in eras." The questioning look prompting the younger Bosmer to elaborate. "Y'ffre wants Falinesti to be found and its inhabitants woken up after its been wandering the Planes of Oblivion and finally found it's way back to Nirn. Malacath wanted a few clans of Orcs rescued and taken to those islands that are supposed to be out west. We've already did the rescuing part.

Peryite wants the Llimothiit removed from one of his realms in Oblivion. Mara wants a few tribes of goblins and a clan of Reiklings. The goblins are already found and are with the Orcs along with a clan of Ogres." Denko ticked the list off using his fingers while not paying attention to the incredulant look he was getting.

"Meridia has a bunch of Dwemer in the Colored Rooms out. Then there are the Snow Elves that need to be found and taken over with the rest of them." He thought about the list as he looked at the ceiling. "I think that was everyone."

Narwalis was silent for a few minutes before rising from his seat. "I think I'm gonna need a drink."

"For what it's worth, I did the same to help me process what they wanted." Denko shrugs as he takes to offered drink, slightly wincing at the sight of the fermented insect guts in the mug.

The captain sat down heavily with his own mug of the thick liquid and the gourd he used to refill it immediately after draining the cup. "What did the others want?" He was wary and growing weary.

"Hercine thinks that this quest would be a hunt for the ages to watch. Sanguine and Sheogorath just think it'll be entertaining to see how it plays out. Dagon probably expects doing this will upset the current status quo. Mara can't help herself from helping someone in need. You probably get the picture."

Narwalis nods slowly, though if it was in understanding or trying to dismiss what he was being told was hard to tell. "That's quite the story you've got there, surely you have something to back your claim. I doubt Y'ffre and the Divines would send you a quest such as that without anything but their message."

Denko sighed as he looked at the ceiling as his hand slipped out of a pocket. "This is the Bending Ring." He held the intricate ring in his palm. "It was given by Sheogorath himself to me. Nothing destructive about it directly but could cause a panic if used in the right way. Never tried it and don't intend to."

"Really? What's it do then?" The Captain had plenty of curiosity mixed with his caution. The younger mer sighed again before glancing around, glad that the door that lead to the deck was closed and they were alone. Then he slipped on the ring and changed into his female form long enough for Narwalis to see the effects before removing the ring, and by extension the shapeshifting, and pocketing the Daedric Artifact.

"Good enough?" Apparently, the captain had seen enough of the younger Bosmer, especially since he'd foregone his armor for a simple green shirt and brown pants and shoes for the day- forgetting that the shirt had a deep collar.

Narwalis cleared his throat before speaking again. "Let's entertain the thought that I sail you out to where you want, what's my compensation?"

The younger mer drew a pouch from his belt and tossed it onto the desk between them. The pouch landed with a heavy metallic thud on the leather covered wood. "Five thousand enough to get things started? I have nine times that waiting for when we make port again." Denko pauses as he let's the captain take in the information. "Plus, if we're successful, there'll be the fame of finding Falinesti again and the continued business of sailing between there and the mainland. Plus, my group and our charges will need the transportation. And there's the likelihood of a massive pilgrimage from Valenwood."

"You think I'm some sort of glory hound?" There was more than a touch of a threat in the question.

"If I wanted a glory hound, I'd have found a Breton or Nord vessel. But it would sit better for us Bosmer to find the lost city for our kin in the Green."

The Captain was silent for a time before speaking, "Gather your things and your party. We'll set sail for Falinesti on Morndas." He rose and extended his hand.

Denko stood to shake the hand that was offered to seal the deal. "Thank you Captain Narwalis."

"Don't thank me yet boy, this is a working ship and no one gets a ride without working. Not even with how much you're paying. Even the Emperor will need to pull his weight on my ship, so be prepared."

4E 237 Sun's Height

Sunrise on Morndas found the tired questers standing on the dock staring at the Falinesti Faithful. Those who weren't sleeping while standing like Ruby and Nora or being distracted by an early haul of fish like Blake, that is. With them was all of their gear. By their side was the small Cotta-Arc family to see them off.

"Don't worry about your horses and wagons, we'll manage to take care of them." Saffron reassures the group with a smile. Adrien in her arms was wide awake and watching them with crossed arms while his other mother wiped her eyes at her house-guests leaving, from both sadness and relief.

"I did make arrangements for some help with them, but thanks." Denko nods at the ladies and little boy.

"Even so, we'll do our best." Terra assures him.

"Alright kids! Say your goodbyes and make it quick. We're leaving port in ten minutes!" Narwalis called over the side with a grin as the dozing girls woke with a start and nearly fell into the water. They were spared a wet start of the trip by Ren and Yang grabbing them.

Saffron took hold of Pyrrha's elbow when she lifted her pack onto her shoulder, causing the redhead to look back. "Take care of my baby brother, won't you?" The blonde asks.

"I always do." The Altmer answers with a smile.

"Thank you." She was relieved before looking embarrassed, still not letting go of the taller girl's arm.

"Um… Can I have my arm please? We have to leave soon."

"I can't speak for the rest of my family but I approve of you being with Jaune." She released the taller woman and put some distance between them to stand with her wife, leaving the poor girl's face to flare a bright red before dashing up the plank. Once on deck, she made it a point to stand away from the Breton until she could calm down.

As the small family watched the elf run away, Terra leans over to whisper. "You did that on purpose!"

"Maybe." The blonde grins. "But I did mean what I said. Maybe we'll get a niece or nephew out of them soon enough. Adrien could use a playmate."

Terra smiles at the words. "You can be evil and so nice at the same time. It's no wonder I fell for you."

Within minutes of boarding, the sails were unfurled and catching the wind, the mooring ropes had been wrapped on deck, and the Falinesti Faithful had begun sailing out of port. The helmsman at the wheel and confident with his course between the other vessels. All the while the group made sure to stand back and watch until the Captain addressed them. Until then, the open ocean ahead of them was a view that few of them had witnessed before while the land slowly began to recede from view.

Five minutes out of port and Narwalis stood in front of them, "All right kids, I'm goin' to make this simple and clear. Just because your leader there paid for y'all to be on my ship, doesn't mean you ain't going to work!" He began pacing. "If I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it. If First Mate Corina tell you to do something, get it done. If anyone else in the crew ASKS you for help, do what you can. Got it!" Obviously, the Captain had noticed his crew had paused in their duties to watch and called them out for it. Still he heard the sounds of confirmation from his guests and the crew scrambling to get back to his duties, causing him to smile.

"Very well, follow me below deck." Narwalis lead them through a door on the starboard side and down the stairs. "The door in the middle leads to my cabin. No one goes in there but me and Corina unless we bring you in." The Bosmer warns.

"What's in the other door?" Nora had to know, if only to not get in trouble right away.

"That's the privy if you don't take care of your business over the side."

"Oh." Now the Nord was a little uncomfortable with the knowledge, as were many of her friends, some wincing at the mental images.

At the landing of the next deck was a storage room full of casks and barrels, labeled to indicate their contents of drinks and preserved foods. Another doorway lead to an open area with a large table and benches on one side and a small kitchen set up on the other. A Khajiit and Argonian women were already at work preparing the days meals. The large basket near them indicated that there was no shortage of fish, much to Blake's delight.

Past the kitchen is a large enclose room accessible by a door at either end of a corridor that ran along the hull. Looking down the corridor they could see that the space was used for cargo that was tied down securely with ropes and nets.

"Here's the bunk room. Don't touch the crew's stuff without their permission. We have a few extra beds thanks to some of my people leaving for other jobs. You can drop your stuff here and work out your own sleeping arrangements." He paused for breath and saw the variety of expressions at the bed situation, from excited, confused, scared, to casual resignation. 'Maybe I could have a bit of fun?'

"If any of you young'uns need any private time, make sure you keep it to your breaks and try to keep it between yourselves!" He announced with a straight face with practiced ease from years of dealing with other peoples 'needs'.

The High Elves face nearly turned the same color as her hair as he eyes wandered to the Breton who was also turning red himself. The Nord almost seemed to be in a competition for changing skin tones even as her eyes glanced up at the Dark Elf she was practically attached to as long as he'd seen them. The shorter Imperials reaction was amusing as the one in white suddenly turned pink and the cloaked one pulled her hood over her face.

"You have until lunch to get things settled. After that you're goin' to start earning your meals." Narwalis had a wild grin that promised that he'd give anyone who was late a task that they would hate. That was enough for the eight youngest to rush inside and begin claiming beds.

"How are those maps and journals working out for you, Captain?" Denko asks as he watched the contained chaos. The materials in question were 'obtained' on short notice by the local branch of the Thieves Guild. He didn't bother questioning where they came from or if the guild already had the materials, just that they could get him what he needed for the job at hand. Materials that he'd passed onto the Captain so he could chart a course.

"Those old things are interesting enough. Had Corina do her best to draw up a map we could use. Gave me an earful but she does an excellent job as a navigator. The course has been plotted as we'll see what awaits us."

The younger Mer sighs in relief that his time and gold seemed to be well spent. A mental calculation of his savings found that he'd need to do some other work after they returned to the mainland if he was to avoid going broke. Perhaps the others wouldn't mind a job or two for the Brotherhood… Blake and Ren might prefer helping him liberate some goods for business rivals for the guild. Something to worry about later. "I'm glad that they helped. Now to find my own bed."

Turns out that the ship didn't have normal beds but hammocks made of vines. They were in pairs set into the walls that had small shelves and short branch-like pegs for their items while providing some privacy, if you didn't mind staring at the wooden ceiling, someone's back, or the people across the gap on the other side of the room.

Yang and Ruby had taken the upper hammocks on the far side of the room with Blake and Weiss below them, respectively. On the other side, Jaune and Nora had claimed the upper beds leaving the lower ones to Pyrrha and Ren. Unfortunately, that was also all of the available beds the ship had.

The Bosmer cursed, the Captain must have known the numbers and thought that this situation was funny. At the same time, he couldn't fault the old mer, he would have done the same for a laugh. Now he had to salvage what he could.

In the end, his bed was a simple large sheet stretched between Ren and Blake nearly against the wall with his pack, armor, and weapon stowed on the floor.

Life at sea, they found, was plenty of busy work trying to make time pass as the only crew members who seemed to have constant work were the cooks, helmsman and navigator. Captain Narwalis and First Mate Corina excepted from that list as they maintained control of schedules and general duties. The Falinesti Faithful didn't boast a large crew anyway and was hardly the largest ship in the port they left, with the questers making up half of the ships' current population.

There were nets to fix, sails to mend, leaks to check, and decks to clean. The larger group also meant that there were more mouths to feed. That didn't mean there wasn't other things to pass the time.

"The ship is alive?" Weiss asks Narwalis as she assisted with navigation as Corina was occupied and the navigator was off duty. "It's hard to miss the small trees but…"

The white-haired teen looked over the vessel, large bushes lined the upper deck along the stern and a few smaller tufts of green along the port and starboard rails. The rails themselves were made of vines and the pair of masts were smooth barked trees with their own clusters of leaves along the supports for the sails and around the crow's nest. More vines allowed the crew to climb the masts and work the sails as needed. There was even a strangler on the prow.

The Captain laughed, "Yes the Falinesti Faithful is alive! I grew her myself!" He paused to look at the ship as a proud parent would. A look that was a distant memory to Weiss. "Of course, when I started, she was only a canoe for a few years."

"But how? How can you grow a ship? A galleon nearly requires a small forest to be cut down to build it." She asks, missing the wincing of her companion at the mere thought.

"That's the beauty of being a Greenspeaker. I was one back in my youth in Valenwood, helping to grow home pods and root bridges before the call of the sea overwhelmed me." A deep breath as he recalled the memories from centuries past. Several of the crew and guests gathered nearby to listen.

"I took one of the acorns dropped by Falinesti herself and used my magic to get it to sprout and guided its shape as she grew. Started out as a simple canoe for nearly a decade as I did simple trade along the rivers. Had enough success that I had to help her grow more, not that she didn't in the meantime. By the end of the next decade we were forced to only the largest rivers and the sea.

That was when I began adding more of the Green to the Falinesti Faithful. Vines grown to weave through the hull for beds and anchors, some mangroves to deal with the saltwater. A strangler for a figurehead, and some fruit trees for the crew."

"I thought that you followed the Green Pact and that would prevent you from eating the fruit?" Ren asks. He'd seen everyone eat some fruits in the days he'd been onboard.

The Wood Elves of the crew laugh nervously. "Let's just say that she insists and we aren't going to turn down her generosity." Narwalis explains as he pats a spot between a pair of branches. "That and it's hard to be picky about what you eat at sea." The small crowd laughed at that.

Weiss looked like she was struggling to make sense of things compared to the usual ships she'd known all her life. "But plants need soil to live, surely they can't get what they need from the water?"

"Of course, they need soil!" The captain laughs along with the crew. "You don't think that the privy drops everything into the ocean now do ya?" Weiss' face turned red as the pieces came together. "It's all fertilizer for the Falinesti Faithful!"

Two weeks later and land almost seemed to be a distant memory for Jaune. At least he'd finally gotten over his seasickness. Whatever the cooks gave him everyday at breakfast allowed him to keep his meals down. At least now, three weeks into their voyage and he didn't even feel nauseous anymore. Though he kind of missed Pyrrha rubbing his back when he got sick. He'd have preferred if he had another way to spend time with her, but it's not like this was a big ship and there were few places to hide.

Nora had tried.

"C'mon big guy! I'm getting antsy without a good fight!" Yang proclaims from the middle of the deck. It was the third day in a row where the weather was bright and sunny. A few days ago, they had to ride out a large storm but that had been the most excitement so far.

Denko stood across from the blonde brawler, arms crossed and slouching where he stood. The smirk on his face was all that was needed to let their audience know that he knew perfectly well that he was riling her up.

Neither of them carrying weapons or donned in armor. Instead they were dressed much the same as the other sailors, a simple loose shirt and short brown pants- a yellow shirt for Yang while Denko's shirt is green. And both of them had taken after most of the sailors in their choice of footwear, or rather the lack of.

Slowly the blonde Bosmer slid into a ready stance with open hands. The Imperial woman grinned and readied herself. The fighters approached each other cautiously and once they were in reach there was an unspoken signal to begin.

They both moved to start their first attacks- Yang reared back her right arm for a devastating punch while Denko slid back with a twist for a kick to the ribs.

"Captain! Ships to the southwest!" The watchman yells from her perch on the tallest mast. The yell and excitement caused by seeing something other than water and clouds stopped the fight before either combatant could touch the other.

"Damn." Yang mutters before turning to her friend. "Maybe next time?"

"Sure." Denko laughs before he made his way to the upper deck where the captain was.

Narwalis was quick grab his long lens and focus it on the ships in question. "Hmm… five ships. Looks like they're all of Maormer make." He mutters, those who overheard him delved into confused rambling.

"What do you make of it?" Denko asks as he shields his eyes from the high sun, barely seeing the specks on the horizon.

"We'll be getting closer, that's what. Maormer this far north just ain't right." Narwalis explains before shouting orders. "Helmsman! Adjust course to intercept to the south-west. I want full sails to get there as quick as possible!"

The crew scrambled to follow the orders but Narwalis grabbed Ruby's shoulder who turned and had a confused look in her silver eyes.

"Best you and your friends get your armor and weapons, Maormer aren't known for being the friendliest bunch." The Captain advises before releasing the young girl and moving to stand by the helmsman. Corina was already leading sailors in preparations on the main deck.

Below deck, the nine warriors changed into their armor as quickly as possible, not even bothering with using the partition against the wall for privacy. Despite the seriousness of the situation and combined with the lack of privacy, Nora stole more than a few glances at Ren while Pyrrha blushed when the Nord caught her staring at Jaune. It certainly didn't help the Bosmer when a certain blonde bumped him with her hip as he tried to pull on his boot, causing him to fall and see a knowing smirk on her face before she slipped out the door. But all he saw was red, not from anger but because Ruby's cloak was draped over his head as the young girl fastened it in place.

By the time they had all changed as emerged on deck, the Falinesti Faithful had moved close enough to easily see the Maormer ships unaided. That didn't stop Ruby from deploying Crescent Rose fully to look through her scope, mindful that she didn't stab the blade into the wood. Any sailors nearby cautiously stepped away from the small girl with the very large weapon, just in case.

"What's happening? I can't see!" Nora voiced everyone's thoughts, at least those without visual aids. While the ships were easy to view, what was happening with their occupants was much more difficult to determine.

"This just doesn't seem right." Narwalis comments as he lowers his long lens. Upon seeing the confusion from the guest warriors and Ruby was still busy looking to talk, he had to elaborate.

"The two ships in back are firing on the three in front. The leaders are sitting heavy in the water so either they have a large load or they are taking on water. Judging from how one is listing, I'd say it's the latter. That and the attackers aren't going to stop any time soon."

"How is that unusual?" Weiss asks. Despite growing up around a lot of ships, she'd rarely ever saw one badly damaged until she started adventuring and saw numerous wrecks along the coasts. Pirates and accidents were the cause in any story she'd heard of involving them.

"Maormer treasure their vessels above their own lives. Normally if they attack a ship it's to steal it for themselves or a show of power that is usually directed at the High Elves." The Captain pauses for another peek through his lenses. "But for them to be attacking their own ships like that… I can only assume that they've turned traitor."

"Captain! The rear ships are signaling!" Corina shouts from her place near the bow.

"What are they saying?" he replies before getting a better view for himself.

"The pursuing ships are telling us to back off or we'll be attacked!"

Nora looks at Ren, "They sound like fun people." The comment drew a few smiles among those who heard the girl, though most of them were rather grim.

"Hmm… the ships being attacked are hailing for help. Not really a surprise there." Narwalis says, never taking his eye from the lens. "…they're claiming they have families onboard. This could be a trap of some sort."

"Captain! The helm of the lead ship just got taken out by a ballista!" The watchman announces, near instantly destroying her Captains idea.

"Damn! They won't last long with that sort of damage." Narwalis spits over the side in frustration muttering some curses before turning to Denko. "It's your call lad. You hired my ship so its your call to make."

Nearly every eye and ear turned to the blonde Bosmer who sighed and shrugged. "We're already ready for a fight and I don't like the idea of leaving someone behind that I could help." All of the assembled combatants and sailors gave their own gesture of approval.

"Aye, good lad. It wouldn't sit right with me either." Narwalis says with a resigned smile. "Helmsman! Bring us in! The rest of ya get ready to fight!"

With those orders, the crew scattered to either make adjustments to the ship or gather weapons. Some had sets of very basic leather armor thrown over their clothes and simply tied securely. All armed themselves with a dagger before choosing sword, axe, or mace along with a bow. Three barrels of arrows were rolled out onto the deck. Even a small ballista was hauled out with its own barrel of ammunition.

It was almost the point of no return as they could now see the actions of the Maormer crews with their unaided eyes. The next hour would be more eventful than the past month at sea…


	15. Battle on the High Seas

Empire Rising

Battle on the High Seas

"Hey guys! We need a plan, 'cause we're gonna be outnumbered real soon!" Jaune says to his friends as they watched the preparations and the targeted ships growing closer. It wasn't hard to notice the Maormer crew moving about on their decks. Most of them were concentrated at their bows casting spells or firing arrows or ballistae. One of the defenders of the fleeing ships got lucky and put an arrow through one of the mages arms, to no one's surprise she let out a loud scream of pain.

"Don't you have any ideas?" Pyrrha asks as she assists tying an arrow barrel to the mast.

A few moments went by as the Breton was in thought. "Well… sort of. It's kinda crazy." He laughs nervously and scratches the back of his head.

"Crazier than attacking when outnumbered?" Yang was being sarcastic as she adjusted a strap on her gauntlet.

"Been there, done that." Weiss dismisses as she double-checks the chambers of Myrtenaster.

"The more enemies to smash, the better the fun will be!" Nora was pumping herself up while Ren stood nearby apparently meditating.

"I'm kind of thinking that we don't all go over." He had to pause as Nora, Yang, and Ruby let out groans and shouts of confusion and frustration. "What I'm saying is that the crew stays on the ship, they know it best and it's their home. But some of us stay here to make sure the ship doesn't get swarmed while our heavy hitters take the fight to them. Those of us who stay back can distract the Sea Elves with magic and arrows and split their attention." The blonde man explains.

"And the boarders target the crews attacking the other ships." Denko adds his own thoughts.

"Yeah, that too."

"So… Who should go over there?" Ruby points at the Maormer ship that was getting very close, very fast. Nearly within range of archers.

"Hmmm…. Nora, Denko, Pyrrha, and Yang. They're our strongest fighters for something like this. But Ren and Blake, be ready to jump over if you think things as getting too dangerous."

"Right, because jumping on a ship full of elves who want us dead isn't dangerous." Yang was full of sarcasm today.

"Are you really complaining about getting into a fight? I thought that was Weiss' job?" Denko jokes.

"Hey! I resent that!" The heiress was indignant as she stomped her foot.

"Maybe but you also represent that."

"Why you-! "

"Is this really the best time for them to be bickering like this?" First Mate Corina asks Narwalis as they watched over the preparations.

He shrugs, "Probably not but they do sound pretty confident."

"Overconfidence is the best way to find an early grave." She responds quickly.

"And some warriors are deserving of their confidence because they have passed through challenges that leave most others dead or broken." Was his own solemn reply before patting her shoulder.

Maormer were gathering on the side of their ship and ready to attack. They were well withing range of their archers but were waiting for orders. Likewise, the crew of the Falinesti Faithful were ready to fire their own bows or spells. Narwalis walked slowly among his sailors and guests with a bow in hand.

"You all know that I don't like speeches." He began, smiling as he heard a few snickers and the tension seemed to lessen a bit. "So, here's the best you lot are going to get. Send them back to Pyandonea or to the sea!" He roars. In a blink of an eye he had drawn an arrow and loosed it.

The projectile whistled through the air before sinking deep into the mast of the enemy ship. But not before passing through the Maormer Captain, specifically removing the upper half of his right ear.

The battle had begun and first blood had been spilt by the normally peaceful and relaxed Captain of the Falinesti Faithful.

Whatever the Maormer captain yelled at his men was lost in the battle cries from both ships. Arrows from both sides were fired but some of the Bosmer were able to catch and shoot the arrows back at the Sea Elves. The rest of the crew raised shields to defend the archers while mages launched spells of all sorts turning the span between the two ships into a death trap.

Nora and Yang avoided the crossfire by swinging on a vine from the stern while Denko and Pyrrha swung in from the bow. A few Maormer began to do the same to land on the Bosmeri ship and distracting some of the Falinesti fighters. Jaune led the defense as he had little to offer in ranged combat but the fight had been brought to him. Three arrows and a fireball collided against the shield of Crocea Mors in a matter of moments before he had to turn to track the boarders.

"Damn these guys are good!" the Breton mutters as he deflects a sword strike, his counter attack was redirected by his opponents second blade that flowed like water from parry to thrust. His panicked shift backwards allowed the dagger to scratch Jaune's cuirass across the chest rather than taking it in the ribs.

Between the Breton's panic induced flailing and the Sea Elves missed strike causing him to over reach, Jaune's blade slapped his opponents face. His instinctual flinch along with both fighters scrambling to get their feet back under themselves correctly lead to a deep gash being drawn in the elf's face from hairline to jaw.

If Pyrrha's lessons in swordplay didn't hammer in the need to take advantage of any distraction to defeat his opponent didn't take, the battle rush that the blonde man felt certainly compensated. As the elf reeled from his wound, he soon found a segmented shield becoming very intimate with his face that left him dazed and unbalanced.

A slice above the knee took the invader to the deck where he clutched his wounds in an attempt to stem the bleeding, dropping his weapons in the process. A kick sent his blades off into a corner ending their skirmish.

As soon as the first Maormer had landed on the ship, Ren leapt into action by going after the closest one. A small jump off of the upper deck brought him behind a mage who was readying a spell to be used on Jaune. The Breton was already engaged in combat and would be blindsided. The Sea Elf mage had noticed the Dunmers landing, as soft as it was, and managed to move so Ren's dagger didn't strike his neck but instead sliding across his scale armored shoulder.

The pale elves reaction was immediate, releasing the spell at his new opponent. The fireball was narrowly avoided in no small part due to Ren's reflexes and the hasty aim of the caster. The torch on the wall was not so fortunate as is was nearly incinerated by the blast and the living wooden wall was left scorched.

Ren charged as soon as he could get his feet under him but had to break and dodge again as a gout of flames engulfed the area where he was, charring the deck black and smoldering. A feint to the right drew another fireball while his attempt to close the distance once again had to be aborted due to a wall of flames.

The Maormer sneered as his spells weren't hitting the nimble Dunmer, the twisted smile grew as his next spell charred a large swath of the deck as he swept his flaming hands in front of himself. The Dunmer crashed into the already scorched wall due to a combination of trying to jump out of the flames path and being blasted by the spell. Only his heritage kept him from suffering worse burns.

Ren slid down the wall, smearing the ashes with his armor. Next to him was the door to the privy… and something was knocking from inside. In front of him, flames were being gathered between the Maormer's hands, likely enough to severely damage the ship and it was about to be aimed at him. For whatever reason his gut was telling him to release the latch on the door. Thoughts of what Nora might do accompanied the feeling, that was enough for him to listen and reach for the door.

What happened as soon as the door was unlatched was surprising enough to make the mage break his concentration and the flames fizzled out. For Ren, it led to far more questions that he wasn't sure that he wanted to know answers to. That isn't to say that he was ungrateful for his death to be delayed.

After all, who would expect a strangler in the privy?

As soon as the door opened, the 'flower' pushed itself out into the open air. The petals and claw-like vines opened as it faced the Maormer. From the center of the flower several vines burst out and snared the unfortunate elf faster than an arrow and reeled it's catch into the waiting maw where the petals and thorny vines closed around its victim. Silently as it arrived, the strangler retreated back into the dark hole below deck, the faint sounds of the struggling Maormer could be heard as it disappeared.

Ren was as relieved as he was disturbed as he wordlessly closed the door. Thankfully by now most of the fighting on deck was almost over allowing him to catch his breath and gather his wits. "I'm not sure what Nora will do if she hears about this." He mutters.

As one of the Maormer swung overhead, Blake threw her sword and severed the rope that suspended the elf. A small tug on the elastic ribbon brought her black blade back to her waiting hand, caught with the ease of doing so countless times. Not even sparing the woman a glance as she fell into the water.

Ruby reacted more on instinct than anything else as she shot at a Maormer who was arcing towards Weiss. The snow-haired battlemage was occupied and focused on maintaining a ward against three opposing mages who were determined to see her fail. Her summoned Twilight Matriarch was off on the enemy ship harassing the Sea Elf Helmsman rather than watching Weiss' back as normal.

The bolt struck the shoulder of the swinging mer, punching through his armor and nearly losing his grip on the rope as the force behind the bolt spun him. He was no longer a problem as during his flailing he'd slid low enough to smack into the side of the Faithful from where he fell into the ocean.

A small break in the dual of mages let Weiss gather her wits, one of the sailors had run one of them through with his sword causing the other two to stop in surprise. That was when Weiss lunged forward to plunge her thin blade into the leg of the mage on her left while her right hand shoved the taller male mer away into the waiting arms of Corina who lifted her captive in a bearhug before slamming him into the deck. From there, Corina grabbed his head and smashed it into the wood to knock him out.

Meanwhile Weiss withdrew her blade while her opponent reeled. A moment later the Stahlrim blade made shallow cuts into the remaining limbs of the woman in front of her before kicking her down. A small poke to draw blood in the shoulder was enough to keep the mage where she was.

On the Maormer ship, any sense of order had been lost. Pyrrha had dropped in and bowled over three archers as she used her shield as a battering ram. Yang landed on the back of a man in heavy armor that did little to stop her from driving his face into the deck as she rolled out of the fall. Nora hit the ground running with her hammer held sideways to catch a pair of mages in the guts and slammed them into a nearby wall. Denko's sword pierced a man's chest as he landed before using the momentum to cut into another elf's legs.

With his primary weapon split, the Bosmer dove into the fray aiming to disable over killing. Bows were cut, arms and legs were left with shallow wounds, and the taller mer tripped. Yang wasn't as potentially lethal as she used her fists to knock out or simply knock down the Sea Elves. A few kicks and throws kept them off balance and perfectly set up for being punched.

Pyrrha was practically dancing a deadly rhythm as she was ganged up on by four opponents. The smallest one had a pair of daggers and were used with as much skill as the swordsman. The one with the halberd was far less skilled and was easily taken out of the fight after he fell and she jumped on his back. The last one had little skill but made up for it with strength behind his massive mace. His lack of skill and tact wound up taking out the swordsman of the bunch as he tried to wind up for a massive swing.

Her shield had already taken the impact from the mace before, if the fact that her arm felt slightly numb from a glancing blow that had sent the Altmer stumbling from the force. She took the dagger wielder by bashing her shield into his face and kicked him in the chest before the brute got close again.

The mace splintered the deck when she spun away and struck his armored body several times with her sword to set him off balance. A flash of her Aedric Spear to the chest didn't pierce but did send him reeling. Before he could recover, Pyrrha rushed behind him and threw the mer over her shoulder. The impact with the deck left him dazed and unable to move.

Nora didn't bother with any kind of plan beyond swinging her hammer at anyone with pale white skin. Her broad sweeps nearly took her too close for comfort to Yang as she punched a man into the Nords path. Moments later Denko let out an indignant squawk as he dove under Magnhild's swinging by, counting himself lucky that he wasn't very tall.

The oceanic battle was over surprisingly quick as the Bosmer archers and mages were precise and deadly, despite the numbers advantage the large vessel held their skills weren't enough to match. The injured were quickly taken below for treatment.

Yang held the Maormer Captain's arms behind him as Denko stood next to him with blades ready just in case, he had any ideas of fighting back. Especially since the other Sea Elf ship had moved close enough to board. Like before it wasn't hard to see the crews desire to cross over and attack but their captain restrained them, if barely. Thankfully Narwalis was standing nearby and ready to handle negotiations, by word or sword.

"Let's keep this simple so no one else needs to die!" Narwalis yells over the water so the Maormer could hear. "I'm willin' to let all hostilities stop so long as your crew stands down!"

The Bosmer paused for breath, taking note that the three ships that were being chased had put some distance between them. But they were moving slow, far too slow and already damaged from the prior attacks. This grandstanding with the other captain would either be enough to let them go at best or delay their demise at worst.

"Stand down and I'll let some of you come over and retrieve your injured and dead. Then we'll release the captain and you return to Pyandonea." Another pause to let the message sink in. You've already seen what we did to the mer on this ship, do you think yours will fare any better?" The last part was as much as a taunt as it was a warning and everyone knew it.

Live and run or face heavy casualties in a foolish venture against proven warriors. Not the best choices but the King would prefer live soldiers to dead ones, especially if they remained loyal to him and brought information. They had found a way around the High Elves beloved islands and tracked the traitors through the storms and going so far north. His crew were among the best the Maormer had to offer.

But Captain Vinalisi was no fool. He saw how the other crew handled the mainlanders and failed and recognized talent when he saw it. Talent in battle that he didn't particularly want aimed at himself. He had also seen that many on the Bosmeri vessel were essentially fresh fighters who had recently gotten some practice.

That didn't mean he'd throw away his pride. He'd oversee the exchange personally with the other captain.

Ropes were used to pull the ships together and a gangplank lowered to connect the vessels. Captain Vinalisi led four sailors across the plank, though he stayed near the impromptu bridge as he oversaw the retrieval of his people. Narwalis kept to the far side directly across from him with the Falinesti Faithful behind him.

The injured were removed first, those who could walk crossed over on their own power, some helping others whose injuries impaired their mobility. The four Maormer from the other ship provided assistance where needed. Once the injured were across and began being attended to by the healers, the solemn task of taking the dead began. Nora and Pyrrha had respectfully moved the bodies into a pair of rows on the deck while Vinalisi watched.

As expected, many of the Maormer protested their assistance- often with vulgar language- but a few were grateful for the help at all. They appreciative ones were vastly outnumbered but they argued only that they had respect for warriors who refused to desecrate another's remains.

Eventually the somber affair of transporting the dead was completed, the only sounds were those of the sea and wind.

"That's everyone on board besides myself and Captain Chimnary. Now if you would release him?" Vinalisi spoke with forced politeness.

Yang waited a moment before releasing her captive at the nod from Narwalis. Denko still held his blades ready while Nora and Pyrrha stood next to the Bosmer Captain. Some of the crew of the Faithful kept watch with weapons in hand, namely Ruby, Blake, and Ren. The rest were busying themselves with cleaning up after the battle, though everyone kept a weapon on them.

The formerly captive captain glared at the trio before turning away with a huff and muttering curses all the way to the other vessel, leaving his counterpart to nod in all of the politeness he was willing to offer before turning on his heel and crossing the gangplank. As soon as the pair were across on their now shared ship, Denko cut the lines holding the ships together and allowing them to drift apart. The Maormer crew were quick to withdraw the gangplank.

Slowly the vessels drifted apart with the Sea Elf crew glaring at the now lost ship before their sails were unfurled and they began heading south. Narwalis kept a steady watch on them as they faded from sight. Even letting out a bark of laughter when using his long-lens to see that Chimnary was using his own to look back at him. That didn't stop the older elf from practically collapsing onto a nearby barrel to sit down once he was sure they were gone.

"Well, that was a thing!" Yang says loudly with a wide smile as she leans on a rail as she watched Nora standing atop a small tower of crates she'd somehow constructed on the deck without anyone noticing. The Nord was shielding her eyes from the sun as she did her best to see the retreating ship, despite it having already gone over the horizon.

Denko leaned against a mast as he examined the damage to the deck. A few dozen arrows littered the planks, some embedded in the wood, others lay where they fell either whole or broken. A number of various weapons were scattered with an Altmer standing at a parade rest among them looking unsure as what to do at the moment. A number of scorch marks from flame and shock spells pocked the deck and sides. Somehow during that time, Nora had relocated herself to the crow's nest to sing some song about Stros M'Kai.

"Alright crew!" Narwalis proclaims to his men on the Faithful. No time to celebrate our victory yet. Let's go tow this ship and find those Sea Elves that ran from Pyandonea!"

The order was broad and vague but the sailors understood it just fine. A few boarded the captured vessel while the raiding party and captain returned, the new crew positioning the ship behind the Bosmeri one from where several ropes were tossed between them and tied securely.

The pair of ships were able to find and catch up to the three Maormer vessels about an hour after sunset. The Captains were rightfully cautious but given that the Falinesti Faithful had driven off their pursuers, they were willing to wait until sunrise to speak freely. That and it was easier to repair the damages to the ships when they weren't trying to move as fast as possible.

The next day-

"King Orgnum is trying to rally forces to invade the Summerset Isles? Again?" Narwalis was incredulous at the news. The Maormer have a long history of attacking the idyllic islands for as nearly as long as the Altmer have been there. That point wasn't exactly newsworthy but it has been a long time since the last attempt. The last one had seen the Psijic Order intervene in the Third Era and summon a storm so devastating that nearly the entirety of their massive fleet had been lost. The Maormer Kings ship was among the few to survive. The sheer loss of life and resources were thought to be enough to stop them from trying again. Apparently, a few centuries were enough to let the memory fade and resources to replenish.

"Yes. The Immortal King is at it again." Captain Vinleera sighs. He was the de facto leader of their splinter group. Captains Estren and Moluska sat on either side of him on the chairs provided.

The four Captains sat underneath the small canopy of leafy branches at the stern of the Falinesti Faithful. Doing so here rather than in a cabin was an easily agreed upon measure of security. Along with the Maormer ships surrounding the Bosmeri one with several watchmen keeping an eye on the proceedings.

"Think we should warn the Dominion or let them deal with it blindly?" Denko asks. He'd been allowed to sit with the Captains at Narwalis' insistence.

"With what the Thalmor have been doing to my people in Valenwood, I'd say let them rot." The normally laid-back sailor's tone was harsh before he let out a sigh. "At the same time… I do know some of the higher ups who don't exactly buy their propaganda. Maybe getting in touch with them and passing the information along could get them to owe us a favor.

"What kind of favor?"

"Free passage through their waters would be nice. Sailing through the Sea of Ghosts isn't good for my ship."

"Back to the main topic." Vinleera cuts in and silencing the tangent that the Wood Elves had gone on. "You're just going to give us the ship you are towing?"

"Something like that." Denko leans to rest his elbows on his knees. "We give you the ship with everything on board. That will allow you to get some of the people and cargo off of your damaged ships so you can do proper repairs. In return you assist me with the mission I'm on."

"And what would this mission of yours be?" Moluska asks. The opportunity for a fresh ship isn't something he'd pass on if it meant saving the people he was responsible for, within reason.

Denko sat back and crossed his arms as he began the explanation that he was already getting tired of retelling. "The Aedra and Daedra have given me a quest to gather certain groups from around Tamriel and bring them to a new home for a fresh start. We are currently on out way to find this land that they told me about so we know where to bring them. All I'm asking is that you join us and lend us your ships for transporting them." The younger Bosmer was serious but all could tell that he was being vague on purpose.

"That's quite the tale boy." Estren scoffs.

"We already have five clans of Orcs, three tribes of goblins, and an Ogre clan that we saved and they are waiting for our return with news that we found the place or not." That shut her up and causing Denko to smirk a little. "And that is only a part of what we have to do." If anything, his smirk grew at their surprised expressions at the news.

"What do you think they're talking about up there?" Jaune asks as he tosses an arrowhead onto his pile.

"Likely discussing terms on giving the ship we captured to them. The damage to one of their ships was pretty extensive, if the way it was listing was any indication." Weiss comments as she adds two arrowheads to her own pile.

"With Denko being involved, he's likely trying to recruit them for our mission." Ren comments as he drops one head.

"They do have bigger boats. If we try to take the Orcs to the islands in this ship it would take forever." Yang drops three with a grin.

"Not to mention the goblins and their pets." Blake withheld her arrowheads.

Ruby smiled as she recalled their past adventure. "Yeah, those Iron Head guys don't want to go anywhere without their tools." She drops one.

The Nord snorts. "There's no way we're getting the Ogres in here." Nora pushes six in front of herself.

"No kidding." Yang laughs at the thought of Ogres on board the small vessel. She'd seen Pyrrha and Jaune hit their heads enough on this Bosmeri ship. Granted hitting the doorframes when tired was as excusable as it was funny to watch the normally graceful elf. Jaune was just being himself, slightly clumsy. The pair blushed in embarrassment as similar thoughts when through their heads.

"Enough talk! Let the cards do it for ya! Nora yells as she slams her hand of cards onto the floor. The players reactions as they displayed their hands varied from impassive (Ren) to panicked (Nora), depressed (Jaune and Yang), to victorious (Weiss and Ruby). It was rare for ties to happen in their card game but that was part of what made it fun.

The arrowheads they were betting with came from the clean up efforts before being shooed to below deck for the duration of the talks. Most of the arrows had been broken in some way so they were tasked with removing the heads for possible later use. The rest of the crew were in the galley and enjoying their off time.

The talks were rather enlightening. It turned out that the reason the Maormer ships were sitting so low in the water wasn't so much from damage as Narwalis had assumed, but from the sheer number of people on the vessels and their supplies. An examination of the captured ship revealed that while the ship had the personnel to man it and fight but had left port with meager supplies for their chase. While traveling light allowed them to sail faster and catch up to the runaways but also forced them to ration what little they had.

It did make Narwalis wonder just how the ship they let go would fare if they lacked in preparation like the other ship did. He dismissed the thought as he watcher the Maormer move cargo and entire families to the relatively empty ship.

"Captain Vinleera!" One of the mer moving cargo calls out. The Captain quickly moves to where the sailor was waving him down. Narwalis moved a few steps for a better angle on his own ship.

"What is it sailor?" The Captain asks once he was close enough to speak at a normal volume despite the noise of shifting crates and chatter of children. All he received for an answer was the mer pointing behind the stack of crates that he was assigned to move. Vinleera approached cautiously to peek around the wooden boxes only to find four Sea Elves sleeping with weapons nearby- a sword, halberd, a pair of daggers, and a mace.

From where Narwalis stood, all he could see was the Captain slapping his hand to his forehead hard enough to be heard from where he stood. The smack also had the momentary effects of pausing all activity on the deck temporarily.

For the next week the five ships sailed westward. According to the old maps and charts that Narwalis possessed, he determined that they should be near Yokuda. Out loud he said they were near but kept it to himself and Corina that the maps showed that they should be ON Yokuda. But with the ancestral continent of the Redguards supposedly sinking into the Eltheric Ocean, that calculation shouldn't be so far-fetched. Given that factor in addition that they were looking for islands, he'd ordered to other ships to spread out and staying within visual range while performing a serpentine search pattern.

That was when they found something that was proof that they were close to their goal, shallow water clear enough to see a destroyed stone structure surrounding a massive and relatively intact statue of a man with distinctive Ra Gada features. None of it broke the surface but the boats made sure to give it a wide berth while marking it on their maps and in their logs.

Narwalis had sent Clings-To-Ships down to try to find anything noteworthy. The Argonian cook had spent over an hour scouring the ruins and only had a few coins and made a copy of the writing of a plaque on the statues base. It was unsurprising that no one could read the Yokudan language.

Even Weiss didn't have anything in her little library, granted she generally focused on other topics. If it was Dwemer or Falmer, that would be a different matter as they had several books relating to those languages.

Jaune and Yang winced as they stepped out into the light of the noontime sun. They had spent the past two hours doing what they could to heal three of the crew. One Bosmer had taken a fireball to the back leaving him with a massive scar across his shoulders. Another Wood Elf had been struck with several arrows, one in her right thigh, left hip, left bicep, and embarrassingly in her left buttock. The Khajiit cook had been stabbed with a dagger in her side. They were the lucky to be alive though it wasn't as though they were the only ones who were injured but the ones who could not continue their duties.

The blonde pair were the best healers available and kept the three alive, even if they were extremely sore. Morning and evening healing sessions kept the two from exhausting themselves, though Yang was quick to say that most of it was Jaune's skills that carried them so far.

Weiss sat in a chair in front of the Captain's desk in his cabin while the mer relaxed in his own while swirling an unfamiliar drink in a mug. A second sat untouched in front of the white-haired girl while she pondered why the elf called her here.

"Shoulda known that Jacques wasn't much of a family man." The old mer sighs as he takes a swig before casting a sad look at his guest.

"You, you know my father?" Weiss was shocked.

"Few sailors who spend much time moving goods don't know the man who runs the East Empire Company. Don't know what Nicholas and Willow were thinking allowing that skeever into the family."

Weiss looked to the floor as her thoughts turned to her family and the... less than ideal home life she had. Her silence seemed to enough of an answer for the Captain.

"I'm glad that you didn't take after him. I do see a lot of your mother in you, especially when she was your age. Granted she didn't have as much of a rebellious streak as you or your combat skills." Narwalis grins leading to Weiss' cheeks turning pink at the comments.

Then she blinked rapidly as his words hit her. "You knew mother when she was young?"

The Bosmer laughed loudly in response. "Girl, I knew Old Nick when he was a lad getting his sea-legs on this ship." He grinned at her shocked features. "I got him started on the sea, watched him leave to work for the EEC, saw him rise up the ranks until he ran the whole operation. While he ran things, he gave me plenty of special jobs that paid well. When he had Willow, I was there for a couple of her birthdays. I was there for her wedding, I saw your sister, you, and your brother when you were mere babes.

Your grandfather was so proud of you three and your mother. Then he handed over control of the company to Jacques and the Schnee family's name began being dragged through the mud."

"Was it, was it that bad?"

His face turned sour as he recanted the past, "When Old Nick ran things, it was practically the best times that the Company had in centuries. Workers were paid more, had holidays off, they were taken care of if injured on the job. People had gold in their pocket to spend that would eventually go to his vaults. But when Jacques took over, he began cutting wages, working long hours, the injured were simply replaced. He began giving the worst jobs available to the Khajiit, Orcs, and Argonians while slowly refusing elves to be hired."

Her hands covered her mouth even as she looked to the floor in shame of her family. Tears began to well up in her eyes as memories of what Blake had told her about her family. About the mercenaries hired by her father who'd harass her people on the good days to outright killing Khajiit or Argonians in the streets. The thefts of their shops, the refusal to pay them even half the wages of Imperials and Bretons.

Her thoughts drifted to her younger years after her grandfather died, when her father began trying to train his children to be like him. The demands for perfection in their duties, the lessons for being in 'Respectable society', always demonizing the 'Beast Races' referring to them as little better than goblins that can speak.

How her sister, Winter, eventually ran off to join the Legion. How her brother, Whitley, began to become a smaller version of their father. How her mother slowly began drinking more often over the years until she'd rarely be seen without alcohol in her hand during her waking hours. How SHE began adopting her fathers' views of others, the need for perfection in her actions. How she was conditioned to be a pawn in his game of life.

When she began learning the ways of magic. Picking up a sword and convincing her father that it would be good for her own protection so she could focus on something other than him. When she got the nerve to run away with the sisters under the guise of working on an expedition with mages. When she met Blake and eventually learned of her connection to the White Fang.

The memories crashed over her mind rapidly yet were all far too clear. Unnoticed tears ran down her face as so many unwanted thoughts came to her attention once again. Her arms wrapped around herself as her breath hitched.

Narwalis saw the effects that his words had on the heiress. He knew that any animosity he had wasn't directed at her but by her reactions there was a lot that he was missing out on due to distancing himself from the Schnee family after Nicholas died. Regret washed over him for making the girl in front of him cry yet also felt anger. Anger at himself for his actions in the past that could have made this girls' life better than what she had been given by her skeever of a father.

Slowly he picked up a clean cloth and walked around the desk to wipe the tear tracks from her face. Weiss looked up at him with wide shocked eyes even as the water continued to leak. A few moments after seeing his face, full of regret and empathy, she wrapped her arms around the old sailor and openly wept.

It took a while before her tears ran dry and Weiss was able to gather herself together. The whole time Narwalis simply let her vent, even if he was going to need a new shirt once she left.

Still pity was all he could have for the girl, alongside with the respect she'd earned as she had worked and fought on his ship. "Weiss." He began to get her attention, she looked at him with red, puffy eyes. "Take the rest of the day to relax." He offered with a smile.

The young girl merely nodded and walked to the door. She paused as she looked back at the captain to offer a wry smile of her own. Weiss remained silent as she opened the door but was stopped by the Bosmer's voice. "Miss Schnee, if you'd like to… I could share some stories of your grandfather. Maybe even some of the trouble Willow got into." Narwalis offers.

His words turned her smile genuine, even a small laugh escaped her lips. "I'd like that. Thank you." With that the white-haired girl slipped out the door leaving the old elf by himself.

Three days later while continuing the winding search pattern, they found a small island. The remains of a small stone structure poked up through the lands flowers and shaded by a trio of wind weathered trees. Little else was notable about the little spit of land beyond its natural calm beauty and isolation. The cartographers believe that it was a mountain top originally but was now shorter than their ships. Another mark for the charts.

The next day they found rocky shallows that became a chain of small islands of seaweed covered rocks at low tide. The danger was carefully measured charted and logged as they spent the rest of the day navigating around the rocks.

Two days later and the small fleet found a small atoll that had some areas low enough that the ocean broke the ring into several parts. The waters within were calm and clear that was filled with brightly colored corals and fish. The land itself was covered in lush in lush vegetation that hosted a number of birds, lizards, and insects.

For the sailors, it was a tropical paradise that had limited fresh water, but it was enough for them to gather a few barrels. Yang joked about making the island a vacation area where people could relax on the beach and swim in the lagoon with the fish. She added that they shouldn't build anything more than a dock so they wouldn't ruin the islands beauty.

The next day was the one that they were waiting for, the sight of massive branches from a tree on a large island. A tree tall enough that it took nearly two hours of sailing until they could see the land it sat on. Few trees on Nirn were so large and all came from Valenwood.

They had found Falinesti.

 **AN: Sorry about the longer wait than expected. Work has been fairly consistent up to three weeks ago, but now we are on reduced hours. Last week they were closed waiting for major parts to come in that we can't do without. During the days I'm not at that job, I've been helping my dad with odd jobs since he lost his job at the start of the lockdowns. Unfortunately, it was doing one of these jobs three weeks ago I got poison oak pretty bad. I don't react to sumac, only react to ivy with an open cut, but oak was new to me and it was bad enough that my arms looked like I was wearing gloves of welts.**

 **Needless to say that kinda killed any desire to set my arms on my desk to work on this, especially with all the weeping my arms were doing. Spent the last week essentially shedding all of the affected skin and regrowing it. All the while being kept busy helping my dad with his jobs. Shed repair, shed dismantling, moving a gazebo, rebuilding a shed, lawn care, etc. and that's what he needed my help with in the past three weeks.**

 **But my arms are mostly healed now, my birthday was on Friday, this chapter is finished, and roughly three chapters of content are written next to my computer with plenty of things ready to go. Depending on how things go, I might be able to get another chapter up in a week... just don't hold me to that.**

 **Reviews, constructive criticism, ideas for future content, and such are welcome. If anyone knows how the Beta System works to help me improve my writing, I will welcome the help.**


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